Once Lost Yet to Return
by Emotional-Hikari
Summary: Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warm crosses his path  full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warm crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is not.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

It has been a long and uneventful day, the hours finally ticking down to the early evening, the sun sinking ever slowly behind the towering skyscrapers of the city turning the sky into a brilliant orange hue. He tied off the last string of his boots before standing up to his feet, keys jingling in one hand while the other reached out for the bike helmet. He was leaving earlier than usual, but he wanted to get a head start tonight.

"Leaving already, Handsome?" a sweet sultry voice asked from behind. Barnaby paused, glancing over his shoulders to give the fiery Hero a small smile.

"Yes, I want to avoid the evening traffic so I'm heading off now," he answered.

"Try not to wear yourself out, you know," Nathan sighed. Barnaby didn't answer, simply waving over his shoulder as he left, the doors sliding shut behind him. Nathan sighed as he watched the doors close behind the retreating back; how long has it been since the man even cracked a real smile?

"There's no use worrying about him – he's not giving up anytime soon," a rough voice spoke up from behind. Nathan only shrugged, another sigh escaping pink painted lips.

"I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying all the same," he replied. "It's amazing he's still getting by with the little amount of sleep he gets each night."

"Why do you think he takes so many rest breaks during training," Antonio pointed out. There was a silent pause before rose-coloured eyes finally turned to match the other's gaze. Antonio reached a hand up to brush his hair off his neck; it's been getting a little long lately, fanning out more than usual despite his best efforts to style it. He'd definitely have to get it cut soon – the feeling was too aggravating.

"It's been four years – even if he was still alive, we would've heard something by now," Nathan's usual octave flirt was missing, a sad and empty expression on his face. He could only imagine what kind of expression the other was showing; a heavy sigh emitted from his chest, Antonio looking off to a different corner of the room. Four years – it should seem like a small comparably amount of time, but to them, to those who had been close to him – it felt like a torturous eternity.

"I'm surprised – of all the people to give up, you were the first who stopped looking for him," Nathan treaded carefully. Antonio didn't say anything, avoiding the other's eyes as he stared at the floor, a pained expression on his face.

"I promised him I'd take care of Kaede; I can't spend the rest of my life trying to find someone who probably isn't even alive."

"Hey now – if either Kaede or Handsome heard that right now…" the words faded from his lips. What started as a tattle-tell dwindled away to nothing but lost words. The face the other was showing convinced him more than enough that the man didn't want to believe his own words either. A sigh passed between them, Nathan heading off to the locker rooms to change and head home for the night, silently hoping for the best for the man about to head off onto the road into the evening air.

Once his helmet was secured, Barnaby kicked up the stand and revved the motor to life before kicking off. He would be checking eastside of Bronze Stage tonight and he wanted to use as much as the remaining daylight as possible. He had switched to a motorbike about a year after the incident – it was easier to maneuver between traffic without slowing him down. The streets lights were beginning to turn on, his grip tightening as he slowly increased his speed.

Four years – it should've been nothing compared to the twenty years of emptiness and loneliness he had while seeking revenge for his parents' death. It was still crystal clear to him, that day, as if the whole thing just happened yesterday. After spending a year apart and finally returning to his partner's side, just barely months later they were once again separated.

The Second League Heroes had been chasing some petty convenient store thieves – a job that should've been easy and dealt with in a matter of minutes. What they hadn't expected was that there was a NEXT among them – a rather dangerous one at that. They couldn't wait for the First League to come – they were tied up with their own emergency – so they were left to handle the NEXT on their own. Wild Tiger's power had already run out, but Barnaby had plenty of time to spare and went head to head with the guy. He had been winning – he had the upper hand and was ready to make the arrest, but apparently the thief had one last trick up his sleeve.

A flash bomb had temporarily blinded him, Barnaby leaving himself wide open and defenseless against an attack; of course Tiger being Tiger rushed in and took the brunt of the attack. He could still remember the glowing red blade sunk deep into the older Hero's side, the gagging cough from the veteran as he endured the pain. Barnaby should've reacted, he had enough sense to reach out and apprehend the criminal, but the other hand was still free and already forming another red blade. He didn't expect Tiger to grab at his wrist while holding the blade stabbed deep into his side in place. They had been near the bay and Barnaby had a feeling he knew what was going to happen next, reaching out his hand, desperate to stop the other. He could still see that face – the sad smile as the face plate lifted up automatically.

_"I'm sorry…"_

The words stung in his chest, fingers curling tighter around the handles; Kotetsu plunged both himself and the NEXT thief into the waters of the bay. Barnaby remembered frantically wanting to dive in after them, the other Second Leaguers holding him back. By the time the First League had made it to the scene, the search party had only found the body of the NEXT with no signs of Wild Tiger anywhere. Barnaby remember the desperate calls to Dr. Saitou asking for readings on Tiger's suit, saying that perhaps they could trace him through his suit. The other end had been silent, which was unusual considering how loud the small man was over communication lines.

Barnaby increased his speed, blinking back the tears; he wasn't going to believe it. Dr. Saitou had lost all vital readings from Tiger's suit which meant two things, but one seemed more probably than the other, considering the conditions. Barnaby had cut him off, not wanting to hear the likely answer. He wasn't going to believe it – not until he saw Kotetsu's cold, lifeless body for himself; he had to believe the other was still alive somehow, somewhere in this city. He had spent twenty years following a single, vague lead that in the end he never really found what relations it had to his parents' murders; searching for a man without a single clue to go on was something he could do with absolute devotion. He was going to find Kotetsu – alive or dead – even if it was going to take him another twenty years to do so.

**-8-**

"And that's time," the instructor called out casually. The teen boy sprawled out on the ground didn't look happy at all, glaring up at the girl gazing down at him with a wide smirk; the other students were impressed though, clapping for her before they were dismissed by their instructor for the day. The boy scrambled to his feet with what little dignity he had left.

"Just wait till next time, Kaburagi! I won't let you use _my_ own power against me so easily!" he threatened. Kaede only ignored him as she walked away from the field, dusting off her uniform pants; she heard him growl loudly before storming off in the other direction, pushing past his "groupies" trying to assure him he was still the best. Kaede sighed and shook her head, heading back to the shared dormitories to change into an outfit that was a little less eye-catching.

"Kaede!" a voice called out from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see a curly brown-haired boy running to catch up with her.

"Ah, Tony," she greeted.

"You were amazing today!" Tony praised. Kaede only gave him a sheepish smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"It was nothing – just trying to teach that jerk a lesson," she answered. Tony only shook his head, still saying it was amazing she had planned that far ahead.

"He didn't even realise you had already touched him _before_ the sparring began! You're definitely going to be a great Hero!" he ranted slightly, a light flush colouring his cheeks from excitement. Kaede only laughed, reaching a hand to pull her bangs out of her face as they headed back to the dorms together. They were surprised to a boy with spiky blond hair waiting by the gates; he wasn't a student of the academy – that much was easy enough to tell since he wasn't wearing a standard uniform.

"Hey Tony," he waved. The other was definitely surprised.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?"

"You said you had some free time today so I thought we'd hang out," the ice skater answered. The other blush a little as he smiled. Kaede cleared her throat to make her presence known again, Tony fumbling a little with his words.

"Ah, sorry – do you, um, want to come along, Kaede?"

"No it's fine – I have some plans for today anyways," she answered, waving over her shoulder. "Besides – I don't want to be a third wheel."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" both boys yelled at the same time. Kaede laughed at the blushes on their faces, sticking her tongue out at them as she quickly ran off to her room to change. Isaac let out an aggravated noise, putting a hand to his forehead.

"I really don't understand what goes on in her head sometimes…"

"I think I know what her plans are," Tony spoke softly. "I think – she just doesn't want us to worry…"

"…Right. Her dad was – Wild Tiger, right?" he said. There was an odd sort of silent understanding between them. It had been no secret that Kaede Kaburagi was the daughter of the late Wild Tiger – she had stated it quite proudly when she first entered the Hero Academy. The two boys stood still for a few moments of peace before Tony went to change into more casual clothes, saying he'd be right back.

Inside the girls' side of the dorms, Kaede checked over her appearance once more, making sure she had everything she needed. Her usual attire was comfy jeans, a plain cotton tee with a matching jean vest and her hair pulled to the side in a loose ponytail – much like her mother used to wear it before she died. A hand went for the ring hanging around her neck, slender fingers curling around it – her father's wedding ring.

She could still remember the day Barnaby had showed up at their doorstep; under different circumstances, she would've been thrilled to see him if she hadn't just heard on the news that Wild Tiger had gone missing in action two days before. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to; he only held out his hand and placed the silver ring into her small palm. She didn't cry when she first heard the news, but cradling the ring in her hand she just couldn't hold them back any longer, breaking down right there and then.

She let it go, feeling it bounce off her chest before settling; she grabbed her carrier bag making sure all the essentials were there and snatched up her wallet from her desk. She paused a moment, flipping it open to stare at the photo nestled inside one of the clear pockets – it was of her and her dad on her thirteen birthday. She felt herself tear up a little, wiping a hand furiously at her eyes to stop them; he had come home especially for that day and it turned out to be the last time she ever saw him.

Snapping the wallet shut, she shoved it into her bag, grabbed the keys to her door, locked up and left running down the halls. She hadn't been able to come to Sternbild until last year and the time she spent in Oriental Town had been agony. The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and by the end of the year it was generally agreed that Wild Tiger was presumed dead. She wouldn't believe it, though – her dad was too stubborn to die like that; he was somewhere – he had to be – and some inconceivable force was keeping him away from them.

It was still the late afternoon giving her plenty of daylight to run around the city streets, asking anyone willing to answer if they had seen or recognised the man in her photo. She knew she'd have to return to the dorms before curfew hours, but it still gave her a good four-five hours to search as far as she could go and ask as many people as she could.

**-Chapter One/End-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warm crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is not.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

The heat was brutal today, the sun uninhibited by clouds as it glared freely on the land below; typical of summer weather just before the fall would set. It was probably hotter today than any other day thus far, but it didn't stop him from wandering around all the same. Barnaby gently massaged his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to focus – the past two days had been grueling. Between having a string of emergencies back to back and maybe three hours of sleep in total, the effects his nightly searches had on his sleeping pattern was beginning to catch up to him.

He shook his head trying to clear the heavy, fuzzy feeling weighing down on him; he was walking through one of the local parks – it was a silly, cliché idea but you always seemed to find what you were looking for in a park, right? Besides, everyone else typically are wrapped up in their own worlds that they'd walk right on by without even noticing him; it meant he didn't have to put on his professional face or interrupt his search to appease fans. His head was feeling heavier, his steps a little sluggish and unsteady as he wavered a little; maybe the others had been right – maybe he _should_ rest for today.

Not minding where he was going, he bumped into someone lightly, stumbling back a little on his imbalance feet. The other person caught him gently by the arms, holding him upright and keeping him from falling back on to the ground. Barnaby kept his head low as he murmured a small apology.

"Hey, are you alright? You don't look so well," the stranger asked in concern. Forest green eyes widened at the voice, Barnaby snapping his head up to look at the man's face.

"Ko –!" his voice caught. Warm honey-brown eyes were staring at him in concern, but that seemed to be the only familiar feature. This man's voice had a soothing, almost melodic air to it as he spoke, light brown eyes set against a sunny complexion; his hair was a lighter rose-brown colour and far too short – short enough that it naturally spiked up on its own. Gold, thin framed oval glasses adorned the straight nose, sliding down a little – reading glasses, maybe, but then you wouldn't wear such things for a casual stroll; the man was definitely near-sighted. But the thing that struck out at Barnaby the most – his face was clean; not a single hair on his chin and certainly not a beard shaped like two little kittens.

Barnaby felt his heart drop – Kotetsu would _never_ shave off his beard under _any_ circumstances. Even when the old man tried to strike a bet with him; if Barnaby even made a mention of the beard, the other would whine and sulk before backing down from it. The beard was just that important to Kotetsu.

"Hello?" the man gently shook him. Barnaby snapped to attention, slowly removing himself from the assuring hold.

"I'm – so sorry; I'm fine now," he excused. The man didn't seem convinced but let him go anyways, knowing that he was just a simple stranger. Barnaby apologised again before moving past him, not daring to look back behind him to watch the other walk away; he was afraid of what he'd see if he did.

That voice – he had been so sure that it was Kotetsu; he had _hoped_ but – everything didn't match up. An overwhelming ache burned in his chest. Barnaby glanced down at his wrist; a purple beaded bracelet and an oversized wristwatch which doubled as a wire-grappler – both of which had belonged to his partner. He put a hand over them; he couldn't bring himself to throw them out when he was clearing Tiger's locker. He remembered holding the man's wedding ring in his fingers, the temptation to slip it on was strong, but he knew he didn't have the right to. He had given it to Kaede – it was more rightfully hers than his, and he figured that of all the possessions left that ring held the most significance to her.

Tears pricked the corner of his eyes; Barnaby must be more exhausted than he thought, quickly rubbing them away. Why did just hearing that man's voice pull up all these memories – both the good and the bad. Why did it feel like the time Kriem had cruelly told him that Jake wasn't responsible for his parents' deaths? That feeling of finally getting an answer only to be left with more questions and doubts; and the one who stayed by his side, always picking him up – always was Kotetsu, meddling in places he shouldn't have.

Then again – if the older man _hadn't_ shoved his way into his life, Barnaby would never have found out the real truth, that Maverick had been the one responsible for killing his parents. He felt his knees give way, just barely keeping himself up on all fours as the ground beneath him seemed to disappear. This was a strangely familiar sensation; he remembered – him and Kotetsu retracing the steps when the false memory Maverick had given him was starting to unravel. He had been just as tired and just as frustrated. He remembered Kotetsu's promise to stick with him until he figured out what was wrong with his memories and then vaguely passing out promptly after hearing that promise.

"Oi! Are you alight? Hey!" the voice floated over his head. He could recall the ghostly touches of his partner's arms holding him up, no doubt a worrying look on his face. Did the other carry him to the infirmary or did he get someone else to help? If Kotetsu had carried him, he never made a mention of it – Barnaby knew the other would have teased him relentlessly about it since he's princess-carried the veteran several times.

His body felt light, as if he was being lifted onto air with a strange sense of warmth against his back; it was – comfortably familiar. Perhaps Kotetsu _did_ carry him back then – how else would his body remember what it felt like, how easily the bumbling man held him in his arms. His eye lids fluttered open slowly, his mind still in the memory expecting the white ceiling panels of the infirmary; it wasn't white, but creamy brown and it wasn't paneled but seamless.

Barnaby blinked a few times before slowly trying to sit up – he was in a bed, but it wasn't a hospital or any other place similar, this bed was far too comfortable. He glanced around the room, but his vision was extremely burly – then he realised he didn't have his glasses on. Was he in someone's home then? But who would take an unconscious man home, unless – no, he shook his head. If they had wanted to do something indecent, that would've happened by now.

"Oh good you're awake," the sudden voice startled him. "How are you feeling right now?" The blurred figure crossed the room, stopping just before the bed. Barnaby squinted, trying to stare at the face of the kind stranger who picked him up; why was this voice familiar?

"My glasses…?" he requested. There was a small noise before the vague shape of a hand reached over to the side drawer, holding out what could only be his glasses. Barnaby fumbled trying to grab them, quietly thanking the man as he put them on; it took a few seconds for his vision to focus, but he could finally see the world. He turned to face his host, his voice catching in his throat – it was the same man had bumped into not too long ago.

"Here, drink this – it might help you feel better," the man offered. He held up a tall ceramic cup, Barnaby wordlessly taking it cautiously; the liquid was still hot, nearly burning his tongue as he took a tentative sip. It was a bitter tea, but he didn't know what kind. The man watched him carefully, a relieved smile on his face. "You had me worried there, you know; I was about to call the hospital if you didn't wake up soon."

"…How long have I been out for?" Barnaby asked.

"Pretty much most of the day; you still look a little ragged, but at least you've got some colour back in your cheeks," the man replied. "You looked awful when we bumped into each other earlier – no offense," he added hastily. Barnaby only nodded in agreement; he was pretty sure he looked miserable considering he didn't have a chance to nap these past two days. He continued to quietly sip the tea he was given, having gotten used to its bitterness.

"Um, where am I exactly?" he asked. Before the dark-haired man could open his mouth to answer, a voice from behind him spoke up sounding not pleased at all.

"You're in _my_ bed, that's where!"

"Will…" honey-brown eyes frowned at the man standing in the doorway. He had long shaggy black hair and sharp piercing dark eyes glaring at them; he was dressed in complete black from head to toe and Barnaby thought he was one of those socially reclusive kind if not for the healthy tan the man was sporting. He couldn't have been much older than himself.

"Why'd you have to use _my_ fuckin' bed? You've got your own damn bed you could've used!"

"Yours was unoccupied," the other answered simply.

"You have a fuckin' _desk_! Don't use your bed to spew you damn textbooks and teacher's aide all over the place!" the raven head nagged. His companion ignored him, turning to Barnaby with a pleasant smile.

"Don't mind him – he has an issue sharing space."

"Does the word "_personal_" mean anything to you, Akira?" he asked. Barnaby flinched at the name – not because it meant anything, but it only proved to confirm that this man sitting aside of him was not his partner. Akira sighed, running his fingers through his hair which made it stand up even more.

"Anyways, as said – I'm Akira Hurst; sorry for my roommate's rude behavior," he held a hand out. Barnaby hesitantly took the hand, shaking his head.

"It's fine – I feel bad for causing you trouble."

"If you feel bad then you shouldn't have passed out in the middle of the goddamn park!"

"And this obnoxious loudmouth is William Zimmerman – Will for short; or if you want to be real cute, Bill-a-Bong," Akira introduced with a teasing tone.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" William fumed. Akira only gave him a smug little grin, the other man gritting his teeth at him.

"Um, Barnaby Brooks Jr." he hesitated before introducing himself. The two men stopped their glaring war for a moment to look at him, both slightly surprised before a smile lit up Akira's face.

"Ah, so that means you're a Hero, right?" he asked. Barnaby nodded his head.

"Great – the all might Barnaby spent half a day in _my_ bed," William muttered, burying his face in his hand.

"…That just sounded really dirty when you say it like that," Akira pointed out with a monotonous tone. William looked at him horrified as the meaning of what he just said sink in, his face contorting with anger and embarrassment, yelling out that that's not what he meant. They continued with their little banter, but Barnaby didn't pay much attention, eyes wondering around for a clock to tell him the time; it was just a little past six. He tossed the covers off, catching both men's attention.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused – and thank you for taking care of me, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Zimmerman."

"Please – William is fine; I hate, hate my last name…"

"Why don't you stay for dinner, Mr. Hero," Akira offered. Barnaby shook his head as he stood up; he wanted to get back out into the city as soon as possible to continue his searching. He excused he wasn't hungry, moving to walk past the man when his stomach betrayed him, letting out a loud gurgle. Barnaby blushed, staring down at the floor to avoid both pair of eyes watching him.

"Let me guess – breakfast was probably the last time you ate anything and you most likely haven't eaten anything since," Akira guessed, failing miserably at hiding the smug tone. Barnaby didn't say anything, silently cursing at his body's betrayal. Akira laughed while William sighed, moving away from the door and muttered something about making extra.

"…I'm sorry…" Barnaby apologised.

"Don't worry about it," Akira patted him on the shoulder. "Will's a pretty good cook, besides – I couldn't just leave you alone out there. Who knows what would've happened to you." The hand on his shoulder was warm; an aching feeling rose in his chest again at the feeling. Akira led him out of the room and down the short flight of stairs leading to the rest of the house. It was a large open space with no walls to distinguish the living room from the dining room, only a single half-wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the house. He gestured to the couches, Barnaby taking a seat while the clanging and clattering of pots and pans emitted from the kitchen.

Akira had offered to help out with the cooking, but William refused, reminding the man that he was banned from using the kitchen under _any_ circumstances. Curious as how that came about, Barnaby asked but the older seemed hesitate to answer, scratching the back of his head. William took the opportunity to poke fun at his housemate, saying he had set a can of microwavable soup on fire.

"How on _earth_ did you _do_ that?" Barnaby asked curiously. There was a furious flush on Akira's face as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring off to a far corner of the room.

"I don't know! I followed everything it said to do!"

"You forgot to remove the metallic cover, idiot," William answered knowingly. Akira hissed at him to shut up, narrowing his eyes dangerously at him. The raven head only smirked, going about the kitchen as he cooked up dinner for them. Barnaby couldn't stifle the small chuckle that escaped him; he thought no one could be _that_ bad at cooking, but this man sitting next to him was proving that there really was no limit to how bad a person could be at something. At least Kotetsu knew how to cook, even if all he ever made was fried rice.

All too soon a tantalizing smell was drifting through the complex, Barnaby's stomach rumbling even more much to his embarrassment. Akira teased him only a little for it before they were called to the table to eat, Barnaby taking a seat across from the older man. William set the plates down with light plop – pasta with thick creamy alfredo sauce, garnished with some sort of fresh green herb, running back to the kitchen to retrieve his own plate and a small bowl of freshly made garlic bread.

"Well – enjoy," he muttered curtly, not wasting a second to plow his fork into the stringy pasta. Akira only shook his head at his table manners, but picked up his fork and began to eat. Barnaby hesitated a moment before slowly taking up his fork and scoped up a bite; he was surprised by the taste.

"Did you – really make all this from scratch?" he asked quietly. William gave him a dirty look from across the table.

"You've got a problem with a guy who can cook?"

"No, um – it's good," the blond murmured. The raven head looked pleasantly surprised before a smug grin came to his face, puffing out his chest.

"Yes, well – I suppose it's my only special talent," he bragged.

"You're always a bitch about it until someone compliments your cooking," Akira rolled his eyes. William only hissed at him, shoving another forkful of pasta into his mouth. Barnaby offered a small smile, simply enjoying the meal in silence, although it was hard not to talk whenever Akira or William dragged him into the conversations.

"Ah, this dinner just needs one more little touch to make it perfect," Akira claimed half-way through the meal. William only blinked as he watched the man stand up before he noticed he was heading towards a cupboard hanging on the wall by the fridge.

"I don't see how you can stand that piss," he groaned.

"Hey! I take great pride in this kind of stuff! You don't hear me calling your food shit," the man argued as he pulled a large wine bottle from the cupboard. William grumbled, occupying himself by grabbing another piece of garlic bread; Akira only huffed before walking across the tiny space to another cupboard, pulling out a wine glass.

"Would you like to try some, Mr. Hero?"

"What is it?"

"_Sor__ì San Lorenzo_ – it might be a bit strong, but once you get used to it its some pretty damn good wine," Akira held up the bottle. Barnaby debated about it for a moment, but nodded his head as he decided to try a little. The dark-haired man reached for another glass bringing them over to the table. The bottle had already been opened since the seal was already broken and it was already less than three-quarters empty. Akira poured just a tiny sample for Barnaby to taste, before filling his own glass more than half-full.

Barnaby took the glass by the stem, swirling the wine before lifting the rim to his lips to take a tentative sip; Akira was right – this was pretty strong, but he found he didn't mind it really. Akira was savouring the taste, the scent, eyes closed as he simply took in the flavour of the wine before actually drinking it.

"So? Not too bad, yeah?" he asked. Barnaby nodded his head.

"Yes, it's pretty good," he answered. Akira jabbed his housemate in the ribs, nagging him that he just didn't have proper tastes. William only snorted, saying he'd rather have a cold beer any day. Barnaby refused another glass even though he did enjoy the wine, Akira sealing it back up and putting it back to its proper place. The dinner finished quickly after that, the dishes cleared and leftover talked wrapped up; Barnaby gathered his boots from upstairs, tied them off and thanked the two men for their hospitality before Akira walked him to the door. The summer night was a little chilly, the light wind pricking at Barnaby's bare arms.

"You sure you're going to be alright?" Akira asked at the door.

"Yes – thank you for everything and I'm sorry again for all the trouble I've caused," Barnaby answered. The other only shrugged, saying it was no problem. Barnaby offered a smile before walking down the stone steps of the townhouse.

"It's probably not my business, but – what were you doing that you ended up like that?" the question came out of nowhere. Barnaby froze, glancing over his shoulder to see the man gazing at him with a serious look; his mouth remained shut for a long while before a sigh escaped the young Hero.

"I'm – looking for something; something that is very important to me," he answered hesitantly.

"Must be if you're willing to ignore your health like that," Akira sighed. Though there was an odd sort of smile on his face as he leaned against the doorframe, arms over his chest. "You know, what you're looking for probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Not trying to tell you what to do, or that you should give up, but – it's fine to stop and watch the present around you now." Barnaby didn't say anything. The man bid him one last goodnight and then closed the door with a light click. It seemed like ages before Barnaby remembered how his legs worked, walking away from the house in any direction; he vaguely recognized his surroundings, so he should have no issues getting back home in one piece.

The word lingered in the back of his mind; he could tell just from hearing those words that there was an age-old wisdom to that man – something that Kotetsu brought out once in a while at the right moments when it was needed the most.

_He isn't Kotetsu…_ the thought was disheartening. There were certainly similarities – Akira's voice, the way his eyes lit up with certain expressions and certain gestures, but everything else about him just – wasn't Kotetsu. He had a strange air of maturity that the other lacked despite his age; even the way he talked was different. It was precise, less clumsy and – very dignified. If Barnaby had to really describe Akira in one word, it would be dignity – a quality that Kotetsu always tried to imitate, but failed miserably at. He pushed the thought aside for now; no matter how much his heart wanted to believe it, his brain knew better. Akira Hurst was not Kotetsu T. Kaburagi.

**-8-**

"Your Good Samaritan act is going to get you killed someday, Akira," William warned. He was busy putting the last of the soiled dishes into the dish washer to let it run over night. Akira only sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"I know, I know but I couldn't help it – he just looked so pitiful and I mean, the guy passed out in the middle of a park," he argued. "Not exactly the safest place to pass out." The door of the washer closed with a slam, dark eyes glaring in his direction.

"Yeah well, thanks to you our mission got passed on to some second-rate stand-by team!"

"…The target is the elite business tycoon – Elias Milford," Akira said. He walked over to the bookshelf, picking up a small black disc from the shelf and placed it into a small specialized player. William picked the remote up from the couch, turning the TV on, the screen displaying a photo of a man in his late fifties with personal information next to it.

"He's supposed to be an upstanding guy, but he tried to seal a deal with some underground business," Will revised. "But apparently he turned chicken and back out, almost landing his would-be partner in jail."

"And now that partner wants him dead so he can steal his company," Akira finished. He knew the details already – they both did. They had memorized every word of it just two nights ago and tonight was the night they were supposed to strike, but – Akira decided to bring home a little distraction.

"Of course that's not easy – Milford is a very careful man; you have to jump through at least ten security hoops just to get to him."

"But there is one point in time when that security is at its weakest."

"And that's when he goes to visit that fuckin' cunt of his up in Silver Stage," William clicked a button on the remote and it changed to an image of the same man getting out of a car. "The walk from the car to the building door is about five minutes – if you don't get a shot by then…"

"Then you've missed your shot," Akira cut in. A smirk played on his lips, leaning back against the couch as William turned the TV off. "There's no way those brats are going to pull it off – Kiles has the worst sense of timing in the world."

"And Jamie is useless at planning escape routes," William smirked, tossing the remote to the couch cushions.

"So all we have to do is wait until they fail and then the job will fall back to us. After all," a nasty grin came to Akira's face as he glanced up at his partner sitting on the back of the couch. "We are the ultimate elite killers in this business."

"And there – that's your bitchy side showing," William jested. A short laugh escaped the other man, simply putting his hands behind his head. Milford visits this woman every week on the same night at the same time. They both had already planned this mission – all that was left was to wait till it came back to them, then set up and wait for the man's timely arrival to his own death.

**-Chapter Two/End-**


	3. Chapter 3

Short chapter this time - needed a little "filler" before getting to the next part. Enjoy~

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

It was late afternoon by the time he managed to drag himself to the training center, still trying to shake off the drowsiness. He had been trying to find some balance between his work, his searching and his recent sleeping habits; the last thing he needed right now was a repeat of last week's events. There weren't many people who would be as kind as Akira and take care of a complete stranger in their own home. So far, that balance was evading him.

"You're later than usual, Handsome," a flirty voice greeted him. Barnaby turned to offer a small smile to the flamboyant Hero.

"Aa, I went home first to drop some things off," he answered. "I fell asleep without meaning to, I guess." The other didn't say anything, but there was a definite hint of relief in his eyes. Barnaby knew he was worrying the other Heroes – not just the people at the office; he tried to assure Nathan he was fine and trying to watch out for his health a little more. The pink-adorned man gave him a playful pout, teasing him that worrying was his job as the "big sister" of the group. Barnaby only smiled, before heading towards the equipment to start on a work-out regime.

"…And they still don't know where the shot came from?" Ivan asked. Barnaby glanced over to the pair, having overheard the question. Antonio had a grim look on his face.

"There was no noise or anything, so there's no way to know where the snipers were set up."

"Snipers?" Barnaby spoke up, surprising the two a little.

"Have you seen the news this morning?" Ivan asked, turning to face him. "It was reported that some business tycoon was shot last night."

"Tycoon? Ah, Elias Milford, right?" Barnaby vaguely remembered reading it in the newspaper.

"Yeah – apparently he was shot when he went to visit some mistress last night," Antonio added. There was an odd sort of silence as each took to their own thoughts. Similar sniper cases have been occurring this past few years; whether they were all part of the same organization or different individuals acting on their own was a mystery. None of the targets were related to each other in all cases – sometimes it was a criminal and sometimes it was an innocent person; there were no clear links or patterns and none of the victims survived.

"Ugh – no point in worrying about it!" an irritated voice growled from behind. "We can't even do anything about it, since there's no way to predict who the next target will be." Karina scowled at the thick, heavy textbook on her lap, one hand holding up a small computer pad and the other tangled up in her now short, blond hair. Her usual fair features were scrunched up in an annoyance as she stared between the two objects.

"Um, Blue Rose-san… y-you sure you don't want my help? I mean…" Ivan offered nervously. Karina almost threw her book off her lap, letting out an aggravated sigh as she leaned back against the glass railing. The young woman had decided to continue on to college, despite knowing that it would be vastly different from her high school schedule. Her professors knew she was a Hero, and were a little lenient about her attendance, but in return it meant that she had to work the hardest on her assignments.

"Argh, geeze! Forget it! I'm going to go beat up on the dummy!" she snapped the book shut, tossing it carelessly in the air. Ivan fumbled to catch it, holding it close to his chest once he caught it. He chased after the icy Hero, stuttering out that he'd help her try to understand the problem since he was somewhat familiar with it. Antonio sighed, putting a hand over his face.

"It must be close to midterms," he muttered. Barnaby only made a small noise in agreement.

"She's stubborn as always; I really have to wonder what Origami sees in her," the blond sighed. Antonio only shrugged, saying to leave the "kids" alone before going back to training. Barnaby smiled, mint green eyes watching the pair; Karina was pouring all of her stress and frustration into every punch, Ivan trying his best to explain in between hits his face a mix between fear and admiration. Although these past four years had certainly seen some growth in the younger Heroes, there were still the moments when those old childish habits popped up once in a while. It was warming to know that they'd still be somewhat the same if Kotetsu ever returned.

A frown instantly came to his face at the thought – _"if"_ Kotetsu ever returned; it was plague that has been haunting his mind for a while now. What if it was just as everyone said? What if the man was _never_ found again? Barnaby wasn't sure he could live and die peacefully knowing that Kotetsu's body was never laid to rest properly. His hands curled into fists, trying to clear the thought of his mind; he _would_ find Kotetsu, even if it took to his dying breath. Having successfully talked himself down from that worry, he relaxed his hands and started to plan his workout for the day.

**-8-**

It was another beautiful sunset, nature painting the sky a luminous yellow, red and orange fading gently into a lavished blue, purple and black. If the stars could be seen within the city, they would be blooming by now, dancing above the crescent sun. Kaede sighed as she stared out the window of the dining hall; due to a recent run about of a serial rapist, all students were not permitted to venture off the academy grounds alone. Until this man was caught, it meant Kaede would have to leave the searching up to Barnaby for a while.

She sighed again, staring down at the half-finished tray of food in front of her. It felt like she and Barnaby were the only ones who were absolutely certain that her father was still alive. Everyone else had slowly come to accept the assumption that Wild Tiger – Kaburagi, Kotetsu – was dead; even her grandmother and uncle were starting to come to terms with it. She couldn't help the anger rising in her chest, wondering why everyone else was fine with giving up.

"K-Kaede-chan! Your water, your water!" a troubled voice snapped her from her thoughts. Kaede blinked, staring at her cup to see the clear liquid rising out of it. She made a small noise and the water dispersed, some falling back into the cup the rest splashing on the table. Her chair screeched against the floor as she stood up quickly, reaching for a napkin to clean it up; she heard a sigh, glancing from the corner of her eyes to see Tony helping to clean up the spill.

"Looks like its Tam's powers this time," he tried to sound lighthearted. Kaede only smiled, giving him a quick pat to get rid of her current power.

"Thanks – I didn't even realize I had touched her."

"Probably bumped her in the hallways or something," he suggested. "You know how clumsy she is."

"That's true," Kaede laughed a little. Once the water was all cleaned up and the damp papers deposited in the waste bin, Kaede picked up her tray and walked over to place it on the cleaning rack, Tony following behind her.

"Are you alright? She says she usually loses control when her emotions are high," the curly-haired boy asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just – thinking about my dad, I guess," dark-brown eyes stared down at the floor. Tony made a small noise, unsure what to say as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He could still remember the day he first met Wild Tiger, and how the Hero had talked him down from the lion statue. When it was announced that the veteran was returning to the Hero business despite his declining power, it encouraged Tony to work at becoming a Hero even more. It almost seemed like nothing could stop the infamous Crusher of Justice – least, not till that day by the bay. Light gray eyes glanced to the girl walking next to him, a sad far-off expression on her face.

"U-um, Kaede-chan! I-I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I too think your dad is still out there!" he suddenly blurted out without thought. Kaede looked at him surprised, seeing him blush a little; he shook his head, continuing on. "Wild Tiger – he didn't even let his power loss stop him! Something like that – there's no way he'd die from something like that, right?" She looked at him genuinely surprised; Tony seemed embarrassed by what he said, the blush on his face turning a darker red. He quickly looked away from her, hands fidgeting in his pocket. A small, soft smile appeared across the delicate oval face, Kaede reaching an arm to hug him around the shoulder; the shorter made a startled noise.

"Thanks, Tony – it really means a lot to me to hear someone else say that," she thanked him. Tony murmured something close to 'you're welcome', before pulling away face red from the forehead down. He made up some excuse about a make-up lesson, running ahead of her not daring to look back. Kaede giggled, before sighing reaching for the ring around her neck. She held it tenderly in the palm of her hand, gazing down at it with warm eyes.

_Dad…if my thoughts can reach you through this ring – please come back to me so I can scold you!_

**-Chapter Three/End-**


	4. Chapter 4

Dear lord… why is it every time I write Akira into the picture I end up with really long chapters… Enjoy. (This is probably riddled with errors everywhere! Will fix later when it's not 1 in the morning and below freezing degrees…)

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

Perhaps going on foot wasn't such a good idea; he hadn't expected it to be so crowded on the one day he gets time off from work. Then again, staring at the traffic it was probably easier on foot then by bike; Barnaby let out a silent sigh, wondering why so many people were out today. Course, this could turn out to be a good thing – it would increase the chances that he might find his partner wandering in and out of the masses; he'd just have to be extra alert is all.

Occasionally he was stopped once or twice by fans who happened to notice him; the blond was surprised he was still this popular, even though Sky High was still the current reigning 'King of Heroes' this year. Without his partner by his side, Barnaby was forced to rejoin the first league ranks since his power was overwhelming to begin with. He was reluctant at first, but returning to the first tier gave him back certain privileges that were not allowed to the second tier Heroes.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with us, old man!" a gruff voice broke his train of thought. Barnaby glanced up ahead to see at least three young men cornering someone up against the wall.

"Ahaha – you're all a pretty rude bunch, aren't you?" that voice surprised him. The blond walked quietly, peeking through the three bodies slightly surprised to see it was Akira backed up against the wall, a weary smile on his face.

"Huh? What are you saying? You're the one who's rude! Bumping into us like that and not saying anything!" one of them threatened, trying to pull off a menacing face. The dark-haired man only sighed, casually shrugging his shoulders, hands in his pant pockets.

"I did say it was my bad – ah, I just want to enjoy my peaceful day off," Akira closed his eyes with a small frown. "Really, it's so rare I get time to myself these days."

"Why you -! Don't look so bored when someone is talking to you!" a man with brown dread-locks raised a close fist in the air. The other two simply stepped back to let their companion have a little fun as he aimed for the older man's face. Akira didn't move, slowly opening his eyes at the incoming attack, taking his hands out of his pockets; before he could even lift his arms in defense, a hand grabbed the wrist.

"Who-!"

"Excuse me, but is there a problem here?" Barnaby asked casually. The man only glared at him, trying to pull his hand out of the tight grasp.

"Who the hell are you? Don't get in my way!" he raised his other hand to strike. Barnaby stepped back, twisting the arm in his grip, before forcing the guy down to the ground, the man letting out a howl in pain. His two friends moved in to help, lunging at him; Barnaby let the arm go holding an arm up to deflect the incoming punch, before moving to the side to avoid the other. Before either could throw another hit, the blond had already closed the distance; his fist making contact right on the nose of one, then turned around and kneed the other in the gut. Both men tumbled to the ground, their assumed 'ringleader' only staring with wide eyes as he watched his two friends fall with one blow each.

He scrambled up to his feet, Barnaby preparing himself in case he tried to attack, but he seemed to think better of it. Gathering up his fallen friends and quickly running away, screaming over their shoulders that they'd remember this. Barnaby only sighed as he relaxed his stance, shaking his head; as if the average punk had a chance against a Hero.

"…I can take care of myself, you know," Akira spoke. Bright green eyes frowned at the older man standing there arms crossed over his chest.

"You're welcome," Barnaby answered. Akira only laughed, shrugging his shoulders before moving away from the wall.

"Ah well, I suppose one good thing came from those punks," he commented. The blond gave him a puzzled look as the other flashed him a gentle smile. "I got to see how you're doing, which might I add – is a lot better than the last time I saw you." For some reason that caught Barnaby off guard, looking away from the other man to stare at the brick pattern of the building.

"It's not like it's been _that_ long," he grumbled. He heard the other give a hearty laugh that resonated in his ears; Kotetsu had a laugh just like that.

"Still, the week seems to have been good for you; you don't look quite as colourless as the first time we met," Akira noted, a soft smile on his face. Barnaby didn't say anything, bowing his head and excusing himself. "Ah – where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular…"

"Hmm, so you've got nothing you're doing right now then?"

"No, I'm… searching…" the blond answered hesitantly. A low hum escaped Akira as he walked up to the other's side, reaching an arm around the small shoulder; Barnaby made a startled noise, blinking at the sudden contact. It was making him feel uneasy and yet – he didn't try to push the man away.

"They say you always have to look ahead to see the future, but if you're always spending so much time looking at what's in front of you you'll miss out what's around you," he stated. The young Hero only blinked at him, even more confused at what this man was going on about. He felt himself being tugged in a different direction, a tanned hand pointing to across the street.

"Now see that young girl over there, white skirt, blue top and wavy red hair? She's waiting for a date," Akira claimed.

"You can't just assume that…"

"Ah, but I can – her skirt's been pressed, she's trying to look nice; her hair too has been done as well. The top of her head is actually quite straight, but only the end is wavy; she obviously tried to curl her hair but she probably ran out of time that's why only the bottom is curled." Barnaby only stared him, then to the girl. She did seem to be fidgeting a little; sure enough a young handsome-looking man came up to her, a bouquet of flowers held out to her.

"And there's the date – obviously a first date."

"How can you…?"

"The flowers in the bouquet – Amethyst means admiration, he's admired her for a while; jonquil means he wants her to return the same feelings," Akira continued to explain. Barnaby looked at him in surprise, before glancing back to the couple; the girl was blushing, taking the flowers with a huge smile on her face before she leaned up to give a kiss on the guy's cheek, seeing him blush as well. It could very well be their first date, since both parties were overjoyed by the other's actions. Barnaby didn't have time to ponder more on it when he felt Akira pull him in another direction, pointing down the street behind them this time.

"Family of three – son riding on his father's shoulders," he pointed out. "Wife is not the boy's real mother, but a step-mother most likely – seems recent since the boy is fine with his father, but shies away every time the wife tries to talk to him." Barnaby had given up trying to remove himself from the strong hold, but he was getting a little annoyed with all this random observation talk when he should be spending his time now looking for Kotetsu. He sighed and let his eyes follow the stretched hand gesturing towards the family. Sure enough, every time the mother tried to talk to the boy riding on his father's shoulders, he looked away. His father tried to nudge his son to talk to her, but she put a hand on his elbow, an understanding smile on her face.

He was amazed – Barnaby was honestly amazed that the man standing next to him could tell that much just by watching their body language. The arm around him finally slipped away, glancing over to see a strange smile on Akira's face; the older waved as he slowly began walking away.

"If you keep looking ahead, you'll miss out on the beauty of little things like that," he simply said before turning his back to the young blond. Barnaby couldn't say anything, watching his back as the distance grew between them; he didn't want to see it, but he was having a hard time _not _believing it. Akira looked just like Kotetsu from behind. Forest green eyes looked away, ignoring the clawing pain eating away in his chest; it wasn't possible, was it? They were just too different and even if it had been four years, there was no way a person could change this much. Despite the likeness, Barnaby couldn't feel a trace of what made Kotetsu who he was; there was always a certain "vibe" he got from the bumbling, sometimes incompetent man that he never found in anyone else. Akira didn't have that "vibe", but he couldn't deny that warmth he felt.

Barnaby put a hand over his shoulder where Akira's hand had rested; it was a foreign touch and yet – oddly genial, as if he knew it his whole life. He thought back to the events from the park; he hadn't wanted to think about it at first, but it struck him after he left their house that Akira probably carried him all the way. The thought was embarrassing to say the least, though Barnaby had successfully talked himself into thinking that the man had carried him piggy-back style, and not princess-style. He remembered feeling safe and at ease around him – even if the housemate was an obnoxious loudmouth, it didn't stop that rare feeling of being… genuinely happy.

He looked back up across the street - the couple and the family already long gone on their way, watching the crowds go in and out, before looking up at the clear sky. When had he last looked at the stars? The last time he had smelled flowers was when he received them as gifts, and even then he barely paid much attention to them. When was the last time he really looked at his fellow Heroes? Really seen and acknowledged the changes in them these past four years; how much Kaede had grown and was really looking like her mother. A small smile appeared on handsome features at the thought – the young girl mostly had her mother's looks and thankfully her smarts as well, but that bull-headed stubbornness was definitely from her father.

He stood there for a while, letting the sounds of the city adsorb his senses before he decided to continue on with his search. There was an occasional stop or two when something caught his eye, taking a minute or two to watch and enjoy and then moved on. Maybe he would visit Kaede later – they hadn't really interacted much since the day he gave her the ring; Barnaby felt like he'd regret later if he didn't get to know the daughter of the person he trusted the most.

**-8-**

"Excuse me, but – does this man look familiar to you?" she held up the photo. The old woman simply shook her head, giving her a polite smile.

"I'm sorry, dear – afraid I haven't seen him before."

"Ah, thank you and sorry for troubling you," Kaede bowed her head before walking away. She was technically supposed to be in lessons right now, but she managed to convince her roommate to inform the instructors that she was sick and resting in their room. The other girl had been reluctant, but agreed to help get her out of class after much pleading on Kaede's part. She had quite a few days to make up for lost time searching, and besides – she was already top of her class, so missing a lesson or two wasn't going to hurt.

Honestly though, Kaede was beginning to worry just a little; lately it seemed that Barnaby was spending a lot of time talking with her recently. Not that she minded really – she was still a fan of his, after all although she had long since moved on from her idol-like crush on him – but it was troubling her that the man seemed to prioritizing time with her over searching for her father. She paused in her steps, reaching to hold her hands over the ring against her chest; would Barnaby, too, eventually give up and come to accept the fact that Wild Tiger was gone for good? Would she be left as the only person in world who would keep turning her head every time someone looked the slightest bit like her dad?

Kaede shook her head clear; no, Barnaby didn't say anything about giving up when they talked last night. He was still searching for Kotetsu, but he felt he'd be letting the man down if he didn't at least get to know the precious daughter a little – at least, that's how he explained it to her. Her fingers curled around the chain, wondering why now – why after four years was the ex-King of Heroes wanting to know her better? A loud chiming noise distracted her, looking up to the big public screen display running an emergency broadcast.

"…The situation is quite serious – an elementary school is currently being held hostage by a group of gunmen; it has already been reported that one teacher may be dead," the newscaster announced. An image of the school was displayed in the right top corner behind her; Kaede recognized that building. "The culprits have not made any demands yet, and both police and Heroes are hesitant to enter the building at this current time." Dark brown eyes narrowed at the report, quickly shoving her wallet into her bag; searching for her dad will have to wait. She quickly dashed off in the other direction, weaving in and out of the people standing around watching the news, horrified that anyone would swoop so low as to take children for hostages. Kaede tried to avoid touching anyone as much as possible – she knew whose power she had at the moment, and she wasn't going to risk losing it because of some unknown NEXT walking amongst the normal crowd.

The situation was briefed to the Heroes who had arrived on the scene first, the group of which included Barnaby, Origami Cyclone and Blue Rose. By the time the others had shown up, the police had already explained the whole problem to them, Barnaby already forming a plan with Origami on how to successfully infiltrate and figure out just how many gunmen they were dealing with, and how to sneak in without them knowing.

"Can you do it?" Barnaby asked. The other didn't even hesitate as he nodded.

"Something like this – it's the only thing I _can_ do," the samurai Hero answered. There was a bright light as he activated his powers to shift shapes, a tiny white mouse standing in his place once the light faded. Barnaby couldn't help the small smile as he watched the transformed Hero scamper off into the building; Ivan's powers have grown significantly these past few years and so had his confidence. All they could do now was wait till the other got back with information on how it looked on the inside.

Inside the building, inside the one room where the children had been herded and kept huddled in a corner, honey-brown eyes were glaring through thin-framed glasses at their captor, hands behind his head as the man stood in the door with a machine gun. He had been in the middle of a math lesson – they were learning their times-table today – when a round of gunshots resonated through the halls, followed by a series of screams. Before he could even do anything a gun was pointed at his head, and he was having threats yelled at him and the kids in the room.

One little girl was sobbing uncontrollably, hugging her knees tight to her chest as she cried softly for her parents; the man was getting irritated by her whines, shouting at her to shut up. The teacher glared at him, unable to keep his voice to himself.

"Stop it! She's just a kid and she's scared!"

"You, shut up! Or I'll shoot you too!" he held his gun up to make a point. The teacher bit his tongue to keep from saying anything more, glancing worryingly to the little girl trying desperately to quiet her tears. If only he had a clear opening, one where he was sure the kids wouldn't be put in any danger. Then, something odd caught his eye, staring to the slightly open door with a bewildered look – a mouse. A small, unnoticed white mouse poked its head in, quiet and still as if surveying the situation before it left just as silently, as if it had never been there at all. He resisted the urge to smile; he had a feeling that had been no ordinary mouse, and that these thugs would be getting what they deserved soon enough.

Everyone was already on their toes by the time Origami came back out and de-transformed, explaining how things looked on the inside. There were at least six culprits in total; two were guarding the front and two at the back, while one was keeping watch in the halls on the ground floor, the last one minding the children and one teacher in a room on the same floor. There was a side entrance, however, that they seemed to have failed to notice and left completely unguarded.

"All right, Heroes – this is an extremely delicate mission," Agnes' voice could be heard over their communications. "Barnaby, Dragon Kid, Sky High – you three will infiltrate and take care of the gunmen and rescue the hostages; Blue Rose, Rock Bison – stay on the front in case any of them try to escape. Origami Cyclone, Fire Emblem – mind the back!" All of them answered with a firm "yes ma'am", splitting off into their respective groups and headed to their designated locations. Barnaby, Dragon Kid and Sky High successfully managed to sneak to the side, and just as Origami had said – it was left unguarded, using the element of surprise to their advantage. They came up to the corner where the one man would on guard, Barnaby nodding to Dragon Kid. She only grinned, powering up her electricity before running out into the open, throwing it at the man before he could even react.

He let out an undignified scream at the shock, before collapsing onto the tiled floor; they moved out from their hiding spot. One of the guards apparently heard the scream and came to investigate, shocked to see their comrade knocked out and three Heroes standing in front of them. They fired without hesitation, Sky High using his winds to deflect the bullets, while Dragon Kid charged up another attack and struck without mercy. Barnaby took the opportunity to slip into the room, pushing the door open at full force.

"No sudden moves!"

Barnaby froze, glad that his face was hidden by his armor – he was pretty sure he was showing a surprised expression, but not at the fact the gunman had a hostage by the arm, gun to their head.

"A…Akira!" the name slipped before he even thought about it.

"H-hey, Mr. Hero," Akira gave him a nervous, apologetic smile, as if he was at fault for being caught like this. The thug twisted his arm tighter, bumping the barrel of the gun against his template.

"Easy there – one false move and he's dead meat," the man warned. Barnaby loosened his stance, slowly backing out from the door, the man pushing Akira to move forward while still keeping the gun steady to his head. Both Dragon Kid and Sky High looked to the other Hero confused as to why he was suddenly backing away until they saw the reason why, neither able to make a move. The man only smirked at them, walking backwards slowly with Akira to make sure they didn't try something sneaky.

"_Oh no! It looks like one of the culprits has taken a teacher hostage to escape! What will our Heroes do now!_" Mario's voice was loud enough that even the Heroes on ground could hear him. They had already apprehended the remaining gunmen, thanks to the mini riot inside; the other three had panicked upon hearing the round of gunshots and tried to escape, running right into the waiting arms of the Heroes set up at the exits. They all stood back as the last culprit walked out with the auburn haired man in his grasp, Akira stumbling a little as he was forced down the steps.

At that moment, Kaede arrived on the scene, seeing the brute shoving the innocent man out into the open. She could see the other Heroes were reluctant to make a move, trying to find an opening, a distraction, anything that could ensure a hit without endangering the hostage. Kaede steadied her feet, holding a hand up in front of her as she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate; she tried to visualize a hand in her mind, opening her eyes as she stared at the spot just behind the gunman. The dirt behind him started to stir, slowly circling upwards as it tried to take a shape; there was a look of surprise on the Heroes faces as they watched this swirling sand tower build.

It was already a foot or two about the guy by the time he noticed it, letting out a startled yelp, unwittingly removing the gun from his hostage's head. Akira took the moment of distraction to knock the gun out of his hand, taking the man (and everyone else) completely by surprised. Before anyone could register what was going on, the seemingly helpless teacher twisted his body to relax the tension on his arm, grabbing the man by the collar and effortlessly throw him over his shoulder and hard on to the ground.

There was a loud wave of shocked noises at the feat, Kaede losing her concentration and the sand tower she had been trying to turn into a hand, dispersed back to the ground it came from. By that time Barnaby had ran out to see a man at least twice Akira's weight being thrown down like he was made of paper, indeed very glad for the armor hiding the amazed and shocked expression on his face. Akira only grinned down at the man slowly losing consciousness.

"This is one old man you shouldn't underestimate," he said. The man promptly passed out from having the wind knocked out of him; Akira stood up straight to dust his hands off, before looking over to see the red-suited Hero walking over to him. He waved. "Guess this is all yours from here."

"Yes, that it is… but where the hell does a grade school teacher learn a move like that?" the question slipped before he could catch it. The older man only laughed, scratching the back of his head.

"A guy has to stay in shape somehow, right?" he answered jokingly. Barnaby only sighed, shaking his head as he lifted up his face plate, revealing a small smile on his handsome features. He was surprised to find that Akira was a teacher – well, he had figured that much out when Will mentioned something about textbooks and a teacher's aide. He didn't expect an elementary school teacher though.

"So this is what you do for a living, huh?"

"Yeah, well – I like kids, so why not? Much better than working with teenagers," the man replied. Before either could carry on a further conversation, a string of "ows" diverted Barnaby's attention, seeing Rock Bison coming towards them, dragging one very sheepish looking Kaede with him.

"I believe _she's_ responsible for that sand trick just now," he stated less than amused. Barnaby frowned at the teenager pulling her arm away from the rock hard grip.

"Kaede, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in class," Barnaby nagged. It was obvious from her uniform that she snuck out somehow. The girl only pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's not like I'll be missing much – besides, I helped a little bit!"

"You're not allowed to use your powers – _anyone's_ powers – outside the academy, remember? It's too dangerous," he reminded. She only huffed, avoiding the nagging green eyes staring down at her.

"You can't expect me to just sit around and do nothing! And I can control the powers I copy… more or less," she muttered that last part to herself. Barnaby only sighed, planting a hand to his head, Rock Bison doing the same; she was her father's daughter in more ways than one sometimes.

"Aha – see, this is why I don't teach teenagers," Akira chimed in. "Although, I suppose I should thank you for creating an opening for me." He smiled; Kaede uncrossed her arms and turned to give him a cheery smile.

"No, it's fine – after all, I will be a Hero someday so if whatever I do helps, then I'm happy," she replied. Their eyes met for the first time, Kaede blinking up into amber coloured eyes staring at her with a strange look. The two stood in an odd silence, simply staring at each other eye to eye. A feign sense of warmth flooded her chest, feeling her heartbeat stop before it started pounding faster in her chest; Akira had a faint look of familiarity in his eyes, his breath seemed to have stopped a moment.

"Hey… have we… met before?" he finally asked. The question threw them off guard; Barnaby blinked at the man, gazing between the two confused. Kaede wasn't sure how to answer. There was something definitely familiar about this man, but it couldn't have been… could it?

"I… I don't think so…" she finally answered shyly. Akira only hummed, a peculiar smile coming to his face.

"Ah, sorry – you sort of reminded me of a student I used to teach, but thinking about it… the age isn't right," he excused. Before either subject could be broached, someone was calling out to the man, all eyes turning to an elderly man dressed in a semi-formal gray suit.

"Akira! You all right?"

"Ah, principle – I'm fine, and the kids?"

"Still very shaken up from this whole mess; their parents will probably be arriving soon to pick them up."

"Ok, I'll go in and see if I can calm them down a little before then."

"Sorry for pressing the matter, but did the culprits ever say what they wanted?" Barnaby asked, interrupting the two men.

"Money, probably," Akira answered first. "This school doesn't look like it, but there are actually quite a lot of kids from wealthy families who attend here. They were probably trying to use the kids as ransom for money." There was sudden groan as all attention turned to said culprit rousing from his unconsciousness. He sat up slowly rubbing his head as he tried to recall what had just happened; he barely had a second to think about it when Kaede rushed over and kicked him straight in the head, effectively knocking him back out. Barnaby let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

"That was a little unnecessary, Kaede…"

"What's it matter? Anyone who dares to hurt little kids deserves nothing less!" she argued. Barnaby couldn't help the snicker as the reaction reminded him of Kotetsu; he couldn't help but feel that the man would have reacted the same way (though maybe not _as_ childish). With the threat of danger gone and the criminals being handed over to the police, Akira and the principle headed back into the school to take care of the children, and try to sooth their trauma until their parents came for them. Akira waved over his shoulder to Barnaby, the blond returning the gesture almost subconsciously; he didn't think two short meetings would put them on such friendly terms already.

"Ne, Barnaby – do you know him?" Kaede asked. Barnaby blinked at the young teen, curious about the blank, far off stare she was showing. He followed her line of vision, seeing that she was watching Akira disappear into the school building.

"Well, just his name really – Akira Hurst; I've – bumped into him a couple of times before this," he answered vaguely. Kaede only hummed, a delicate hand reaching for the ring around her neck, fingers fiddling with it her dark eyes never leaving Akira's back. Barnaby had a feeling he knew what she was thinking – what she was hoping for, and it gnawed him for saying this, "He's not your father, Kaede…" The fingers stilled, her head tilting to the ground as she bit her lip.

"But he's –!" _similar? Has the same eyes? The same voice?_ – All those thoughts went through her head, but she just couldn't put them into verbal words. She felt a hand reach around her head, gently pulling her close to the armor-clad body, a gentle, but unsteady voice hushing the tears trying to push their way through. She let him, even though she would never, _ever_ let her dad do the same, Barnaby didn't really have the privilege either, but for some reason – she didn't want to fight it this time. She could've sworn for sure that it was the real thing, that her father was standing right there in front of her, she had seen it in that man's eyes. There was a flash of recognition, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came and that vague connection Kaede had felt didn't return. No, that man just now wasn't her dad no matter how much she tried to feel it; perhaps Barnaby felt the same thing, that's why he was standing there now, an arm around her and completely oblivious to the fact that she had skipped class.

**-Chapter Four/End-**


	5. Chapter 5

kuroXIII - Actually, he was just trying to make a point that because Barnaby keeps focusing on one thing, he doesn't notice what's happening around him XD (although I suppose I did channel a bit of Holmes there /big fan of BBC Sherlock/)

Note: _"Insert Conversation Here"_ = speaking in German

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

He pushed the door open with a heavy heave, dropping his keys into the basket on the side table as he let out a tired groan. Home had never been more inviting in all his life; a hand reached to run through auburn bangs, not caring if they stood up in a mess. Between the panic from being held hostage and trying to hand the kids back to the arms of deeply worried parents, it had been a long day and it wasn't even lunch time yet.

"…you're on the news," William pointed out. Akira only hummed, walking across the threshold to see the TV on and replaying the broadcast about today's events. He only snickered at the video of himself throwing the man over his shoulder.

"Heh, it's hard being a star player."

"This isn't funny, Akira! You could've been killed!" Will slammed a fist against the back of the couch. The grin on Akira's face dropped, putting a hand to his hip.

"He was going to grab one of the kids; I couldn't let that happen," he answered seriously. The raven-head let out a groan, burying his face in his hand.

"This is why I told you your Good Samaritan act is going to get you killed…"

"Well think about who had a better chance of defending themselves – a small, six-year-old girl or a forty-plus year old man?" before the conversation could carry on, a phone ringing distracted both men's attention. Two pairs of eyes stared for a moment, before Will reached over the side of the couch to answer it.

"Hello? ... Yeah, he's here," he held the receiver towards Akira. "Its old man Hurst," he stated plainly. A genuine look of surprise crossed Akira's face before it melted into a warm smile, walking over to take the phone from his companion.

_"Hello, Aldric."_

_"Akira! Are you all right? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"_ the voice on the other questioned. Akira laughed softly at the concern in the surprisingly light tone, despite the heavy accent.

_"I'm fine, honest – the kids are all fine as well."_

_"They said one of the teachers was shot though!"_

_"He's fine – one of the Heroes managed to revive him, so he's in the hospital right now,"_ Akira explained. Will only watched him from the couch, always amazed at how rough the other sounded whenever he spoke in German, despite the usual tenderness in his voice.

_"Ah, you worried me so much! When I saw you on the news, I thought my heart would stop!"_

_"You have no problems sending me out to kill someone, yet you drop dead when I'm taken hostage? You're a hypocrite sometimes, Aldric."_

_"On missions I know you're the one holding the gun to someone's head – not the other way around,"_ the man on the other end grieved. Akira only laughed, giving him a hard time as they continued to talk for a bit, before the auburn haired man bid goodbye and hung up the phone. He placed it back onto its holder, back tracking to pick his bag off the floor and headed upstairs to his room. Dark, sharp eyes were sulking as Will watched him head up to the stairs.

"How come whenever _you_ get into trouble he goes all paternal on you, but ignores me?"

"Simple – he likes me and hates you," Akira answered smugly.

"That's unfair favoritism!" William yelled from the couch. Akira only laughed as he quickly raced up the stairs before his housemate could do anything, closing his door with a light slam. He walked across the small space to toss his bag on to his bed, before collapsing into the armchair facing the foot of the bed. He let out a heavy 'oof' sound as he leaned back into the plush material, taking his glasses off to place on the desk just next to him and closed his eyes. Usually bosses and assassins don't have close relations, but it was a little different for Akira – he owed everything to Aldric and doubt he'd even be alive right now if the man hadn't taken care of him.

Honey-brown eyes opened to stare up at the ceiling; he didn't _have_ to choose this kind of life, he could be living life as just an ordinary school teacher – he didn't have to become a killer. Akira sighed, gently massaging the bridge of his nose; he had started to wonder after his first kill if he made the right decision or not, but now he was certain he had no regrets. An estranged smile came to his face at the thought, leaning his chin in his palm – or maybe he just numbed his human side enough that he was immune to such feelings.

**-8-**

The atmosphere was intensely silent, a strange heavy air hanging between them despite the bustling, noisy business of the restaurant. Antonio tapping his fingers on the table top, staring between Barnaby and Kaede, both lost in their own thoughts, eyes picking a spot to focus on and then never leaving that spot. It had been mutually decided to at least get some lunch for the girl before they dragged her back to the academy and informed the professors that she had snuck out. She would probably get detention for a week or so, along with some cleaning duties and possibly lose her privilege to venture off campus for a while.

The tapping increased, the man clearly at a loss of what to say to the two somber beings, but at the same time uncomfortable with this eerie silence. Their drinks had come providing some distraction, but after the quiet thanks, it was back to that unnerving silence. Maybe he _should've_ let Nathan come along for lunch – at least he could host _some_ sort of conversation, even if it did get a little too suggestive for Kaede's age (though he doubted there wasn't much a sixteen-year-old teen _wouldn't_ know by now).

"Alright, you two – what's up?" he finally asked, bringing his fist down with a light thud. The two blinked at him, before quickly occupying themselves with their respective cups, answering at the same time.

"Nothing…" it started them both that they had the same answer.

"Nothing, my ass –"

"Antonio! Language!" Barnaby scolded.

"It's not like I don't use it myself…" Kaede muttered.

"You two have been all but _dead_ since the whole hostage situation – something's gotta be up," the burly man pointed out. Barnaby decided to take a rather long sip from his cup to keep from answering, Kaede staring down into the contents of hers to avoid eye contact with hazel-green gazing at her. Antonio sighed, leaning back in his seat; he was never very good at this consoling kind of talk. If his old high school fights with Kotetsu were anything to go by – the one who usually had to pull them together was Tomoe; she always knew what to say to get them to stop and think about what they were fighting over. He sighed again – he really wished some of that wisdom had rubbed off on them; he was finding he really needed that recently.

"Uncle Antonio… you've known my dad a pretty long time, right?" Kaede suddenly asked. Antonio blinked at her, shrugging his shoulders casually.

"Yeah, pretty much – I mean, we've been best friends since high school," he answered, a thick brow arching in curiosity. "…Why?"

"If… if he suddenly became a different person, would you still recognize him? Would you still be able to absolutely tell it's still him?" chocolate brown eyes finally looked up at him. Antonio didn't say anything – actually, he didn't really know _what_ to say to that; he as probably the last person to ask that kind of question, considering the whole memory wipe during the Maverick incident. He didn't even consider once that he _might_ have known Kotetsu during that whole fiasco, so he wasn't sure he was the right person to answer that question.

"Er – what's with this all of a sudden? You think you've seen your dad somewhere?" he asked, trying to keep his voice straight. He didn't want to sound skeptical, but he didn't want to sound too hopeful either. She didn't say anything, eyes darting to a busy corner of the restaurant.

"The teacher who was taken hostage – Akira Hurst," Barnaby spoke up.

"Huh? You know the guy?" The blond shook his head, as he continued on.

"No, just his name but he… he sounds a lot like Kotetsu…" he whispered softly. The atmosphere became very deafening, drowning out the chattering and clatter of the other patrons. Antonio couldn't speak, folding his hands together to lean his chin against them; he hadn't really paid much attention to the man who more or less rescued himself from the culprit's hands. He was too busy lamenting over the fact that Kaede was skipping out on school.

"…You don't seem very enthusiastic about it…" he pointed out.

"...he sounds like him, but… he's not Kotetsu," the blond finally answered after several moments of silence. Kaede suddenly stood up from her chair, avoiding eye contact with them.

"I have to use the restroom!"

"…Take your time," the veteran allowed. He watched her as the girl speed-walked to find the bathroom, not once raising her head up. He knew what she was going to do – Kotetsu never cried in front of anyone, not even to Tomoe even after they got married; Kaede was no different, following the exact same pattern her father did. He sighed – she was good balance of her parents thankfully. Hazel-green turned their attention to the man gazing emptily into his drink, hands cup around it, lost in his head somewhere.

"Are you absolutely sure it isn't Kotetsu?" he pressed. The younger nodded slowly.

"Yes – there's just too much difference and he doesn't… he doesn't _feel_ like Kotetsu…" pale, slender hands tightened around the cup. Antonio didn't say anything, wishing he hadn't asked in the first place, taking a sip of his own drink. Definitely – definitely should've let Nathan join them for lunch.

**-Chapter Five/End-**


	6. Chapter 6

Trying something weird with this chapter... if the transitions are not clear, let me know and I'll put little breaks in to make it clearer that the scene is jumping around... otherwise, enjoy~

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

"How's the wind?"

"2kns at most – so pretty much non-existence; your visual clear?"

"Clear as a crystal," Akira smirked. William looked out the window through a pair of binoculars in his hand, eyeing the dimly lit warehouse across the street from them. They had set up in one of the few abandoned buildings surrounding the area, having come to the spot an hour earlier than the meeting planned for tonight. Akira knelt by the next window, checking through the telescope mounted on his rifle to make sure he had a clear view of the wide open area, adjusting the tripod as necessary for the ease of shooting.

They were waiting for three certain young teenagers tonight, while a seemingly innocent target, these three had been part of a big shot gang that's been lurking about the city. Apparently their boss had got wind of their "treason" to sell out important information to another rival gang; of course, rather than take care of the traitors themselves, they paid to have killers do it for them. Akira and William just happened to be the best they wanted, and now were waiting to flush them out.

Sneaking around in the shadows, the Heroes were waiting to hear from the director for their signal to move in; they had received an anonymous tip that some members of two different gangs would be gathering here tonight. Although it was just lower ranking lackeys, it would be a step closer to finding the people in charge.

"_Bonjour,_ Heroes~" Agnes' voice greeted over their communication lines. "As you've all been informed – there's going to be an exchange of some sorts happening in that warehouse!" She reviewed. The Heroes had long since set up around the area, paired off in small groups to surround the worn-down building. Barnaby sighed to himself, hoping they would be able to move in soon; thanks to this he had to skip out getting a head start on his searching tonight.

"Now remember – most of these guys are probably still teenagers, so try not to hurt them _too_ badly," Agnes warned. They all answered with a firm 'yes', before she gave the cue to move in.

"Fuck! Heroes are here too!" William cursed, noticing one of the familiar armor-clad Heroes slowly stalking their way towards the warehouse.

"We calculated them in the plan anyways, so it doesn't make much difference," Akira only responded, planting himself firmly against the window.

"Yeah, but it would've made things a _whole_ lot easier," Will grumbled. He let the binoculars hang around his neck, reaching into the pouch slung around his waist. "The bombs are all set in place, right?"

"Yeah – once set, there's only one exit those punks will be able to run out from."

"And right into your little death trap…ready?" Will grinned, pulling out a long, thin remote control. Akira held his hand steady, finger on the trigger as a nasty smirk played on his lips.

"Do it, I'm more than ready!"

"And snap one: _bang_!"

"What was _that_?" Agnes' voice shouted through the lines.

"There was some kind of explosion!" Dragon Kid explained. The Heroes barely had a second to comprehend the loud explosion as a thick, heavy cloud of smoke rose from the roof, amber flames engulfing the back end of the building. Without thinking, Sky High, Blue Rose and Origami Cyclone were already rushing in, Sky High using his wind to knock the large doors open; a second explosion caught them by surprise, forcing them back as the heat and suffocating smoke rushed out.

"Someone tell me _what the hell_ is going on?" the usually composed producer was sounding panicked. Granted they weren't broadcasting this live, since it was only some small fry, but anything that could waver the popularity of the show was a threat to Agnes.

"Seems like someone else was expecting this meeting," Fire Emblem's calm and steady voice echoed through their open channels. Blue Rose used her ice to clear a path through the flames, she and Origami running in to see who they could help and try to stop the fire before it got any worse. The group was near the center of the warehouse, which was left mostly untouched save for the fallen debris from the explosions, leaving most of the members they were meant to capture unharmed. They could hear them cursing at them, firing off at the two Heroes with handheld guns.

Blue Rose simply used her ice to skate gracefully out of the line of fire, Origami jumping to the side to avoid their aim. The icy idol came right up to two of them, easily knocking them off their feet before turning her attention to the flames surrounding them, shooting out a rain of ice in hopes of taming it. She didn't notice one guy standing behind her, gun aimed with both hands for her head; she turned her head at the sound of the shot, only to see a quick flash of blue and red as Origami drew his swords to deflect the bullet. He pulled out a small shuriken star and threw it to knock the gun of the guy's hands.

"Thanks, Origami," Blue Rose smiled over her shoulder at him.

"But of course," he answered, shamed that his helmet hid his own soft smile. Another loud explosion adverted their attention, a beam having lost its support falling directly above them. Blue Rose let out a scream, while Origami lunged himself to cover her.

"Oi, oi you two! Less flirting, more saving!" Rock Bison yelled at them, holding up the fallen beam with some effort. The two only blinked, before pulling away in an instant, a blush covering both their faces – though Origami's was hidden thanks to his armor. Sky High was trying to redirect the wind away from the fires in an effort to smolder it out. No one had noticed the three, unarmed teenagers shuffling in the corner, eyes wide and a fear so intense you would've thought they were starting at ghosts. Not wanting to stick around any longer than they have, they quickly scanned for a way out that wasn't blocked by fire, debris or Heroes, seeing an small door on the side that had been left unscathed.

"That's right – follow the bait, little mice," Akira grinned, taking his first aim.

The only girl of the group suddenly jerked forward, letting out a gurgled noise before she collapsed to the ground, her two companions stopping dead in their tracks as they stared at the blood slowly seeping from her body.

"M-Mari… MARI!"

"Leave it! We don't have time!"

"But –!" the words barely left his mouth before his head jerked back from the force, his body falling backwards in slow motion. The last survivor stood there petrified, eyes wide in terror staring at the still bodies of his two friends. Dragon Kid and Fire Emblem had remained outside just in case someone tried to sneak out in the chaos, but neither were expecting to see two teenagers being shot to the ground.

"What is happening_ now?_" Agnes stressed; apparently she caught the startled gasp Dragon Kid let out.

"Two of the members have just been shot," Fire Emblem answered. It never amazed the woman how calm and collective this man could be in situations like this. The two Heroes looked to the last remaining member standing, still alive but terrified to move.

"Hey there, Honey," the fiery Hero soothed. "We won't hurt you, I promise, so if you could just quietly come with us…" The young teen let out a scream, before scrambling on his feet, near tripping over them as he turned his back to them and ran. He didn't get very far when a hand grabbed him by the forearm, forcefully turning him around to face the red-armored Hero. He struggled against the grip, letting out an incoherent string of screams and words; Barnaby didn't release his hold, lifting his face plate to stare eye to eye with this young man.

"Calm down! No one is going to kill you!"

"N-NO! You don't get it! I'm dead… I'm as good as dead! I… oh god… Mari…Steve…" tears were beginning to stream down his cheeks as the reality of his dead friends set in. Barnaby grabbed him by the other arm, forcing the teen to face him as he stood in front of him.

"Shit… the Hero's in the way…" Akira grumbled, adjusting the angle of his rifle again.

"Then shoot through him too," William suggested.

"Can't – his power is active; the bullet would just bounce right off him," the auburn haired man explained. William cursed under his breath, looking back to the situation with the warehouse; the Heroes were slowly starting to get the fires under control – there wouldn't be much time left at this rate.

"Come on, kid – give me a nice shot."

"Please calm down! There is a system to make sure you'll be absolutely protected!" Barnaby assured, trying to get frightened teary eyes to look at him. "If you just cooperate with us and the police and tell us everything you know, we'll be able to keep you safe." But the boy only shook his head, still struggling against the grip.

"Y-you don't know these p-people… not-not even jail will keep me safe!" he wasn't screaming anymore, but he wasn't any more calmer; if anything, he seemed even more panicked. He managed to wriggle one arm free from the Hero's grasp, trying to side step to pull the other one free; Barnaby turned along with him, tightening his hold on the teen. "T-these guys aren't human!"

"Thank~ you~" Akira sing-songed, pulling the trigger without second thought.

A whole flurry of images flooded Barnaby's mind as blood suddenly splattered from the side of the boy's head; he withdrew his hand on reflex watching the body fall to the ground in painful slow motion. Memories of fire sprouted before his eyes, the flames dancing about a carefully decorated tree, the Persian rug that grace their living floor, engulfing his parents' lifeless bodies. His parents? No – something was different about this image; it was still the exact same room he saw Maverick standing in the night he killed them, but neither the man nor his parents were there. The image he saw, the person lying on the floor…

"_BARNABY!_" the voice shouting in his ear snapped him back to reality, Barnaby shaking his head to get rid of the after image lingering in his head. He didn't think he was still this heavily affect by that night, but apparently a stray bullet was enough to replay the trauma. _Stray…?_ No, that bullet had come from somewhere; with his head starting to clear up a little, he was able to think rationally about it, trying to remember from which general direction the shot may have come from. Forest green eyes turned to look across the street, eyeing the row of abandoned buildings, staring at one small, narrow structure in the middle.

"Shit! He's knows we're here!" Akira cursed, pulling back from the window in a flash. Will only gaped at him, watching as quick hands worked to dismantle the parts of his rifle.

"Wait – you serious? Fuck!" he began scouring the room, making sure any single piece of evidence that life had been here was picked up and pocketed away for later disposal – including the empty cartridges. Once the case clicked shut, Akira slung it across his back and the two headed to the door, taking one last careful sweep of the room to make sure nothing was left behind. William took his coat off, waving the long material to scatter the dust around the room before the two took off.

It wouldn't be till five minutes after their departure that Barnaby would be climbing up the stairs. His power had run out half-way crossing the street, but it got him far enough that he should be able to catch anyone leaving the building. There was only one way in and out, treading up the dusty, broken stairs checking all the rooms that faced the warehouse; it wasn't until he got to about the tenth floor that he could clearly see the field where the three suspects had been shot. He continued up another three floors, keeping alert for any sign of movement in the shadows – there wasn't a single sound, or even any evidence that any of the rooms had been used at all.

He stared out the window, trying to gauge the distance from here to where the bodies laid. Dragon Kid and Fire Emblem were seeing over the bodies, the fires finally under control. He glanced around the room again, deciding to take one last sweep of the building in case the snipers were still here. Unless they were NEXTs with speed or invisibility powers, he couldn't think of any other they would've escaped, unless they belayed out the window or something; but then, he would've seen them escaping, right?

He rejoined the others back at the warehouse, shaking his head when asked if he found anything. The Heroes that had rushed in to tame the fire soon emerged, Sky High dragging with him one of the gang members they were supposed to catch. The guy couldn't have been more than seventeen years old; he kept saying over and over again he had no idea there were bombs set up, or that the group they were meeting with was going to be shot dead. It was decided he was telling the truth, and explained to him that if he cooperated with the police, then his punishment might not be so harsh.

Barnaby looked to the building across the street one last time, wondering just who had been up there and why. Other than the dust disturbed by his presence, it was almost as if no one had entered the building at all before he did; he was certain, however, that the shot had come from there. Whoever had been there earlier was good – frighteningly good.

**-Chapter Six/End-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Note:** "_Insert conversation here_" = speaking in German

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

The early morning chatter lingered over her head, businessmen and women, parents picking up their morning coffee after dropping their kids off at school, students grabbing a cup to go before heading to class. She was thankful there were some coffee shops that were open in the early hours; most other stores and malls were typically closed until ten or eleven, depending where you were. Karina sighed, leaning her chin on her folded hands, forcing herself to stay awake; she hadn't been to sleep peacefully after last night's mission. The youngest that had been killed was only fifteen. The thought weighed heavily on her heart, knowing that there were people out there heartless enough to shoot at people that young.

"Excuse me, miss – is this seat taken?" a hopeful brown-haired man asked. Almond eyes glared at him, seeing him shrink back just a little, but it wasn't enough to make him back off completely.

"Yes – I'm waiting for my _boyfriend_," Karina answered icily. Her years as playing the dominatrix came in handy once in a while. His smile instantly turned fearful, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, uh – sorry for bothering you then; um, excuse me," he bowed his head then quickly ran off to find another seat. Narrowed eyes watched the retreating back, before she sighed, closing her eyes. There was a reason she cut her hair so short – she thought it would help make her look a little less appealing, but apparently it had the opposite effect. She was told by countless people (even Barnaby, of all people) that she looked even cuter with the pixie cut. Karina groaned silently, gently rubbing her fingers against her temples – she really wanted her damn coffee now.

She looked up to the coffee bar where said boyfriend was waiting in line to order their drinks; four years had certainly done wonders for the young Hero, though sometimes she wondered if it was because he was trying to prove himself worthy in memory of the old veteran. Ivan had gained three inches to his height, not enough to match the older Heroes, but enough that she still had to tilt her head up to match his gaze. His white blond hair had gotten longer, pulled back in a messy, low tail at the back of his neck, spiking up in all directions.

She had spent weeks trying to persuade him to ditch the orchid "Japan" jacket he always used to wear, before he finally agreed (though she suspected it was still hanging on a wall somewhere in his house). Not that she minded – the black tank top he was wearing showed off the nicely toned and muscled arms he had worked to gain; his shoulders had boarded, making him look a little less slender, less effeminate than he used to. He had switched out the baggy cargo pants and boots about two years ago for basic trainers and jeans that were slightly form-fitting – something she came to appreciate very much since they showed off his cute, perky little ass.

Karina blushed when she realised just how much she _was_ staring at his rear, letting out a tired sigh shaking her head. Never, did she even once think that Ivan Karelin, also known as Origami Cyclone, would be the one guy she'd love more than she did Wild Tiger. She could still recall crying to Nathan when the old man really had left when he retired; she felt she wasn't ever going to see him again till he came back and proved that his passion of being a Hero was greater than even his declining power. Then again, perhaps the reason she was able to let go of the "crush" so easily is because this time – he really would never be seen again.

_"You worry too much, Aldric,_" the voice almost made her jump out of her skin. Karina whipped her head around to the door, not sure what she was expecting, but her heart wouldn't stop beating crazily against her chest. A man with short, spiky auburn hair walked in, followed alongside by a man who was probably ten years or so older than him, judging by the amount of grey hairs he had.

_"I can't help it – you're precious to me, you know,_" the older man spoke. She wasn't sure what they were saying and it took her a minute or two to recognize the language as German. Karina quickly ducked her gaze away as they passed by, not sure why; if it weren't for the fact that the two men were speaking a different language, she could've sworn that Tiger had walked right in past her. She watched them take their place in line for the coffee bar, not noticing that Ivan was coming back with their orders in hand.

"Here we are – one vanilla cream latte to jump-start you," he set the tray down with a smile. When Karina didn't answer him, he blinked at her curiously, waving a hand in front of her face. "Karina? Good morning – still with me here?"

Karina snapped to attention, before reaching over to pull him to sit down, Ivan letting out a startled noise as he found himself being forced to his seat. She pointed over his shoulder to the two older men ordering their drinks. "Behind you – guy in the dark-blue sweater vest, glasses and spiky brown hair," she described. Dark purple eyes only blinked at her, glancing over his shoulder to who she was describing, easily spotting him. She hissed at him to not stare, Ivan turning his head back muttering a small apology.

"Listen – if you get the chance listen to him talk," she ordered. The blond only blinked at her. "Please, I just… something about his voice just…" she closed her mouth, letting him go to sit properly when she noticed that the two men had their drinks to go, walking away from the counter.

_"If I'm late for class, I swear I will be the most hellish little brat in the world!"_ Violet eyes widened at the voice of the target they were following, watching the two men walk by their table.

_"It's worth it spending these few minutes with you."_ The two seemed to be poking fun at each other – if the smiles and light nudges were anything to go by, since neither Heroes could understand a word they were saying. There was an odd settlement between them as the two men left the coffee shop, the bell hanging above the door jiggling about their departure. Ivan moved first, reaching out to take a tentative sip of the iced mocha he had ordered for himself; Karina simply stared at the bubbly white foam layering her latte, hands folded on her lap. She let out a short, forced laugh, avoiding eye contact with dark-violet eyes gazing at her worryingly.

"I'm crazy, aren't I? I thought… I mean, do I really miss him _that_ much to the point where I hear his voice in random strangers?" she let out another forced laugh. Ivan didn't' say anything, waiting for her to continue. "German – it's _German_, of all things! There's no way he'd learn something like that! He's too stupid and dense to pick up something like that so easily, he…" her voice stopped, feeling the tears trying to prick their way through the corner of her eyes, reaching a hand to wipe them away.

"…then, I'm just as crazy," Ivan answered softly. Almond eyes looked up at him surprised, seeing a sad smile on his face. "I, too, thought it was Tiger-san for a moment." She looked at him unable to utter a single word; Ivan reached his hand across the table. She didn't move at first, hesitant as she raised her hand, sliding it over the surface to meet his, lacing their fingers together. She felt him give her hand a tight squeeze, matching his gaze to see that he was trying to hold back his own tears as well. They didn't say anything – simply understanding each other's thoughts without even having to say them out loud. Finally, they pulled their hands apart to allow for the ease of drinking their own cups; they silently agreed that it was early in the morning, they had a rough night and that man just now wasn't their clumsy, goofy Tiger. Having brushed that matter under the rug, both decided to sit back and enjoy their coffee date before Karina had to run off to her morning classes.

**-8-**

The temperature was dropping – not by much, but it was definitely enough to be noticeable; people were beginning to wear slightly longer sleeves, a majority walking around in long pants as the fall weather rolled around the corner. Barnaby resisted the urge to shiver at the chill pricking at his bare arms; he'd have to start wearing a longer sleeved shirt soon – or a jacket once the temperature really started to drop. His mind had been in a haze ever since that night – when those three teenagers had been killed; it's been nearly five days since then, but the lingering aftermath from that was haunting him.

The room he had been so dreadfully familiar with for twenty-years – the fire, seeing his parents dead, Maverick standing there with the gun in his hand – he thought he'd never relive that moment ever again since meeting Kotetsu. However, the "memory" he saw that night was different – like it wasn't a memory at all. The room was still exactly the same, not a single flame out of place or a colour distorted at all – the thing that was different was the people. Actually, person – his breath hitched when he saw the body on the floor wasn't his mother or his father… but Kotetsu.

Barnaby halted in his steps, not minding the people walking around him. Why did his mind substitute the man for one of the dead bodies – it's happened before, but that was because he was confused. Once he found out that Jake wasn't responsible for his parents' death, he had felt so frustrated that his mind just automatically started putting people he was familiar with in Jake's place. One of those people had been Kotetsu. Why would he see Kotetsu dead on his living room floor? Was his mind trying to convince him to believe what everyone else believed? That the man was dead and gone forever? Consciously he didn't want to think, but maybe his subconscious knew better and that all his searching would be fruitless.

"…Barnaby?" His head snapped up to his name, his heart leaping to his throat at the voice staring at the man who called out to him. It took a minute or two before the blond could speak, trying to separate the imaginary from reality.

"Akira…"

"Yikes, you look horrible – having a rough week?" the man asked, a genuine look of concern on his face.. Akira obviously had done some food shopping; he was carrying a large, brown-paper bag in one arm, and carrying a smaller, white plastic bag in the other. Barnaby only blinked at him, unsure what to say – maybe because he still couldn't fully move past the fact that Akira resembled Kotetsu too much, that he felt a little uneasy.

"…something like that," he finally managed to muster up an answer. Akira gave him a sympathetic look, but made no attempts to move past him.

"Sounds like you need a break – being a Hero must be pretty tough, huh?"

"It can be, sometimes… um, what are you up to exactly?" the blond asked, trying to side step the topic. "That's a lot of food for just two people."

"Ah, this – Will's throwing a wind-down party tonight, so of course he's making me get all treats while he's taking care of that godforsaken piss he calls booze," Akira joked, jostling the plastic bag as he spoke. However, something about the other's tone suggested he wasn't really looking forward to this party.

"You don't sound all too happy about it."

"They're all people from his work place – clients and co-workers; Will works in a tattoo-parlor by the way," Akira grimaced as he said that. "So you can imagine the company is less than savvy."

"Not really your type of crowd?" Barnaby couldn't help the jest, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch up into a small smile. The dark-haired man laughed lightly, nodding his head.

"Yeah – I tend to lock myself up in my room during these things; Will calls me an asocial hermit for that," he replied. The two stood in a moment of silence as people passed them by, some sparing a glance, others completely ignoring them as they went about their own business. Akira shifted his weight at the sudden awkward silence, biting down on his lower lip before he spoke again. "Say – would you… well, do you want to come over tonight?"

"I'm not much of a party-goer myself…"

"Well, you don't have to have to drink with them – just thought I could get you to keep this old man company for the night," there was a small nervous smile on the angular face. Barnaby only raised a brow at him, Akira quickly waving a hand in the air. "Nothing like that – think of it as a thanks for the whole hostage thing a while back."

"You sort of rescued yourself for that one, so there's really nothing to thank for."

"Still, let me show my appreciation at least – you _did_ try to help when those punks cornered me days before that," Akira smiled, holding his hand out in a friendly gesture. "Besides, I doubt the Heroes are really appreciated as much as they say they are." There was some truth in that matter; Barnaby looked to the hand for a moment, before hesitantly shaking his head.

"I appreciate the offer, but – I have some plans for tonight, unfortunately," it was a partial lie, but he had a feeling if he told the other man that he was searching again, Akira would be more insistent and encroach some more of that all-knowing wisdom of his. He was taken aback by the brief look of disappointment that flashed in amber eyes before a smile quickly replaced it. The outstretched hand withdrew.

"Ah… right… sorry, I guess a Hero is a pretty busy job," Akira answered uneasy. "Just as well, I mean – we've only really bumped into each other, so it's not like we actually _know_ each other that well… wow, ok this is starting to feel awkward – forget I said anything." The blond was surprised by the faint blush colouring tanned cheeks; the initial image he had of Akira was slowly changing bit by bit. He didn't think the man was _this_ shy on certain social matters, considering how well-composed he's been up till now; Barnaby felt like he was gazing a very shy child trying to speak up to other people for the first time. He didn't get a chance to say anything when the other took in a deep breath, the blush disappearing as he regained his composure just as quickly.

"I should be going or Will's going to hunt me down; sorry for the bother and – I hope the rest of the week gets better for you, Mr. Hero," Akira parted with a light nod. Barnaby only returned the gesture, watching as the man side stepped him to continue on his way in the opposite direction. He didn't watch his back, dark green eyes staring at the concrete in front of him; he felt bad for hurting the other's feelings like that, but he wasn't going to let his determination sway.

The image in his head – seeing Kotetsu's lifeless body burning – he couldn't dismiss it no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it wasn't true. He had been too comfortable with himself lately, too lax on his searching and the insecurities were creeping up on him. That side of him that sought out revenge for his parents, the side he thought he had finally buried along with Jake's demise, was screaming at him, saying if he didn't try hard enough, he'd lose his partner forever. Barnaby closed his eyes, trying to block out that voice, the image replaying again; he tried to find a happier time, a time when Kotetsu had been by his side, that stupid, silly jovial smile on his face, an arm around his shoulder, and his persistent need to meddle in things that didn't concern him.

He remembered the disastrous "surprise" birthday party the man tried to spring on him, the idiotic grin on his face when he handed the diamond-NEXT thief to him wishing him a happy birthday. He didn't want to admit it, but for some reason he had been happy, even if only a little bit. It was probably the first time the clumsy, moronic Tiger ever got him to smile – though he'd never show or admit it to the veteran. Barnaby took in a deep breath, before opening his eyes again; finally managing to pacify the violent nagging in his head. He relaxed his hands he didn't even realised he had clenched, before continuing on his way.

**-Chapter Seven/End-**


	8. Chapter 8

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

He did say "search", right – he promised himself to step up his efforts in scouring the city and, if he had to, beyond that once he ran out of places to look. He had been dead set on continuing his search well into the next day since this morning; he even took a paid day-off just to wander around in hopes of finding his partner again. So why, he was still asking, was he here standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to the townhouse in front of him. Barnaby stared up at the structure before a heavy sigh escaped him; he had been so caught up in his thoughts he didn't even realise where his feet had taken him.

_Well, since I'm already here – might as well say hi_, he sighed mentally to himself. He wondered if his subconscious still felt guilty for turning down Akira's offer earlier this afternoon, and mindlessly guided him back to the man's shared house. The blond cursed his better-off memory for remembering where the other lived, despite having only been here once. He raised a hand to the door, hesitating a moment before he knocked – he didn't hear anything from inside, so he wondered if he came before the "party" the housemate was throwing started. That proved to be clearly not the case as a young woman answered the door.

"Yeah? And – who the hell are you?" she quipped. Barnaby stood back a little, a bit taken back by her appearance. Most of her head was shaved saved for a the thin pink and blue Mohawk sticking up in the center; she had enough piercings on her face to set off five metal detectors simultaneously, and enough make-up layered on that would make Nathan's face-up look natural. She was wearing a mesh shirt and Barnaby was finding himself having a hard time to _not_ stare at the obvious fact she wasn't wearing a bra or _anything_ under that for that matter.

"I, uh… I know A-Akira… Hurst…" he managed out. He was thankful that the tattoos on the side of her head were "loud" enough he could focus on that instead of her chest. She didn't seem to care where his eyes were, cocking her head to the side as she gave him a jarring glare.

"Hey, Will! Some guy here sayin' he knows your fuckward!"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call him that, Clara," William glowered at her. The woman only snorted, before moving away from the door to let the shaggy-haired man through; dark eyes widen in surprise, before a cocky smile came to his face. "Well, well – if it isn't the great Hero, Barnaby Brooks Jr.; surprised Akira managed to con your ass here."

"I was – in the area, so I thought I'd say hi," the blond answered hesitantly, glancing to the side. William only snickered, before inviting him in. Barnaby hovered by the door for a minute or two, worried what the rest of the crowd had to look like considering who greeted him first, before crossing the threshold. Aside from the talking and chattering of the "guests", it was shockingly quiet; apparently music wasn't a big thing for them, but there was certainly a lot of alcohol and finger foods laid out. Barnaby was beginning to see why Akira chose to hide away in his room – a lot of the people here had questionable characteristics, and it wouldn't have surprised him to find out some of them were in a local gang.

"Upstairs, second door to the right – knock three times and he'll actually open it for you," Will instructed, pointing up the stairs. Barnaby only nodded before trekking up the steps, ignoring the leer glares watching his back as he disappeared to the upper level. He got to the door William described and knocked three times, as told.

"Will? This better not be some joke!" came the muffled voice from inside.

"Um, it's not Will – it's me… Barnaby," the Hero replied. There was a moment of silence before he heard the fast-pace rustling of footsteps crossing the room, hearing a loud _click_ before the door pulled open. It surprised him to see a beaming smile on the older man's face – like a child discovering they had one more present left to open.

"Hey! I, uh – you came?" the other couldn't seem to put his words straight. A smile appeared before Barnaby could even stop it.

"Yes, I – decided to have a change of heart and keep you company tonight… old man," Barnaby teased. The smile on the dark-haired man's face widened even more, stepping aside to let the younger in.

"I can't say I'm not happy – but I thought you said you had plans?"

"They can wait another time," the blond answered. Once he had stepped into the room, Akira closed the door and locked it again, before gesturing to the arm chair in the corner of his room. Mint green eyes glanced around the room, surprised by the tall bookshelf stack against the wall on the other side, and several smaller wall shelves also housing a number of books. The room was much neater than he was expecting it to be, but then he didn't figure Akira would be the messy kind – though the bed was definitely a different story. The sheets were still undone, books, papers and what looked like a carrier bag sprawled out over the mattress; no wonder the man didn't put him in his bed.

"Ah, go ahead and have a seat – I'll just… clean this up a bit," Akira said embarrassed by his bed. Barnaby took the chair while Akira went about to tidy up his bed, skimming the titles of his books to see where they belonged, what was actually his and what was school material. Barnaby only watched him with a small smile, wondering how the rest of the room could remain so orderly. He took another gander around the area – it was bare, with not much decoration, but for some reason it felt very homely. Maybe it was the grandeur amount of books the man kept, or the light colour wood of his furniture; not like his own room which was stark and empty.

"Ok – done!" Akira plopped himself down on the now made up bed, the mattress springs creaking at the sudden weight. The two men simply stared at each other, at a loss of what to say as an awkward silence hung between them. Akira shifted his position to sit cross-legged, Barnaby leaning back against the plush green seat of the chair. He was beginning to wonder why he came here in the first place; as it had been pointed out – neither man really knew each other beyond a name and occupation. Akira opened his mouth in attempts to start a conversation, but the words lingered on the tip of his tongue and refused to take form. Barnaby glanced to the bookshelf next to him – books… that was a good start, wasn't it?

"You – have a lot of books," he kicked himself mentally for stating the obvious. Akira only blinked at him, forcing a nervous smile.

"Yeah… I guess I'm a bit of a bookworm; Will's always teasing me that I relate with printed paper more than I do people over ten."

"Certainly a lot of classics you have there – Voltaire, Dante, Jane Austen, Shakespeare…"

"Shakespeare in German, actually," Akira noted. Bright green eyes turned to blink at him in surprise, the auburn-haired man rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I can speak German – somewhat; I can hold a decent conversation, but don't expect me to write a whole novel in it."

"So you're bilingual?"

"Trilingual, actually – my native is Japanese, of course. I learned German next, and then English last."

"That had to be pretty difficult."

"Learning any new language is hard; I still have trouble with English grammar, but I'm happy my students are so helpful with that kind of stuff," Akira laughed his shoulders relaxing. Barnaby felt a small smile spread on his face, feeling himself relax as well. The conversation seemed to flow much more easily from there, wandering from books to hobbies, to sharing stories from their work place, or simply just taking a jab at each other for laughs. Occasionally someone from the downstairs would thump at the door, startling them both, but since it was locked no wandering drunk could enter and interrupt them. The hours passed by without either noticing, until a sudden yawn escaped the blond; Barnaby looked down at the wristwatch to see it was drawing close to 1:30 in the morning.

"Oh wow, I didn't realise how late it was."

"Hm? Huh, wow… it is pretty late – where did all the time go?" Akira glanced to the clock on his desk, seeing the time. He got off the bed with a stretch, letting out a low groan as his muscles complained about the stiffness; Barnaby stood up from his own seat, stretching out his arms as another yawn escaped him. He hadn't felt this serene in ages. The older unlocked the door for them, making the notion to walk the blond to the door. "I'd invite you to sleepover, but there's probably a few piss-drunk asses passed out on the floor – including Will himself."

"It's fine, I really should be going anyways." Sure enough, when they reached the bottom of the stairs, there were at least three random bodies lying unconscious on the floor, or slumped over on the table. Akira let out a low growl, gently massaging his forehead at the mess, and the obnoxious snoring of one burly-looking man passed out face down on the floor. Barnaby offered to help with the cleanup, but the man only flashed him a smile, waving a hand; he'd just kick his housemate and whoever was sober enough in the morning to do it. With that, they walked over to the door, stepping around the empty bottles and cans managing to get there without a scratch or causality.

"Hey, um – thanks… for tonight; I really appreciate the company," Akira thanked as he stood in the doorframe. Barnaby only smiled, shaking his head.

"It was the least I could do – you did help me before too."

"Aha – between those punks and the whole hostage bit, I think we're pretty much even." Akira held out his hand to the younger man, the blond giving him an owl look as he stared at it. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again; we always keep bumping into each other somehow." Barnaby smiled, reaching out to take the hand held out to him.

"So it seems; I'll look forward to our next meeting then," he was half-joking. The two shared a laugh before bidding the other good night, Barnaby walking down the steps to head off for his own home. Akira watched him go down the street, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. He knew it was a bad idea to get close to a Hero, considering his profession, but as long as he kept a safe distance, it should be fine. He couldn't really describe it, but something about the ex-King really drew him in. He gave one last smile to the night before moving away from the door, locking it up for the night, before honey eyes turned to the disaster area that used to be their living room.

He walked over to the couch where, sure enough, he found his plastered housemate passed out with an arm over his face and looking a little paler than usual. Akira sighed as he leaned on the back of the couch, gently, but firmly poking at William's arm.

"Oi! Wake up, ass shit! You'll catch a cold if you sleep down here," he nagged. The dark-haired man only moaned in his sleep, giving some relief that he didn't drink himself into an alcoholic coma. The poking persisted, William moving a sluggish arm to bat away his hand; he tried to turn on his side, inevitably rolling himself off the couch to the floor.

"…ow - fuuuuck…"

"You certainly know how to charm a prince," Akira rolled his eyes. He walked around to help pick the man off the floor, hoisting him up over his shoulder. The other groaned and whined at him, but was too off-balanced to really put up a fight and let his partner dragged him up the stairs to his room. He made an odd noise as Akira simply plopped him on the bed, the springs creaking and groaning at the sudden weight. William made a helpless effort to try and find a more comfortable position, but his limbs felt too heavy to move and he gave up on the idea entirely, not caring if his body was twisted in an odd way or that his legs were still hanging off the side of the bed. Akira sighed loudly, shaking his head.

"You are hopeless…" with some effort, he helped get the man fully laid out on his bed, carefully turning him on his side as he removed anything that could become a hazard in the other's sleep. Finally having gotten him into a safe sleeping form, Akira yanked the covers from underneath the listless body and pulled them up over him. He stayed by the edge of the bed for a moment, watching the sleeping face, sighing again before he turned to walk out of the room turning the lights off.

He didn't bother with the three random strangers downstairs, heading towards his own room and locked the door for safety measures. He turned off the main light of his room and carefully treaded over to his already tided up bed, gratefully it had been done before hand. Akira was dead tired and he only spent ten minutes fussing over William. He crawled under the covers, lying on his back as he reached a hand to take off his glasses, setting them on the dresser. Thank god it was the weekend, so he didn't have to get up early for teaching later.

The man settled in with a subtle hum, fidgeting here and there a bit before he felt truly comfortable enough to drift off to sleep. Akira lifted his hand to his face, still feeling the lingering warmth when he shook the blonde's hand; he closed it into a fist, putting his arm down as he closed his eyes. No – he shouldn't be thinking about it; an assassin and a Hero was definitely a bad combination. This was the first time he's ever been interested in another person before; relations were usually messy for his line of work, no matter what they were. Akira had long since tossed the need for them aside since becoming a killer, but the feelings that flooded his chest – this strange sense of comfort whenever he was near the other man. It was – actually, he wasn't even sure how to describe it.

A dejected sigh escaped him, honey-amber eyes opening to glance out the window by his bed, gazing at the city-lit skyline. Even in this crawling, slumbering hour the lights of the city never slept, making it near impossible to see the stars. Akira rolled over on his side away from the window – he prayed, despite how much he was hoping for it, that he and Barnaby wouldn't meet _too_ soon in the near future.

**-Chapter Eight/End-**


	9. Chapter 9

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

"You've been awfully happy lately," the young girl noted. Barnaby only blinked at her, his hand pausing mid-air as he was about to take a sip from his cup. Kaede didn't say anything, giving him that _"look"_ – the one she was always giving her father whenever he tried working his way around the truth. He hadn't seen that look in a long while, not since Kotetsu's disappearance.

"I… have?" he questioned. She only sighed, giving him a scowl as if to say that his mood wasn't obvious enough. Sometimes she wondered if parts of her dad had rubbed off on Barnaby without him even noticing; there were certainly rare moments when he did something she thought only her father was stupid enough to do.

"Yes – in fact, you've been so happy you're practically glowing! Are you pregnant or something?" she glowered. Barnaby choked on his drink at the comment, quickly putting his glass down as he put a hand over his mouth as he coughed. There was a light tint on his cheeks at the verbal blow, giving the girl a narrowed, nagging glare; Kaede only shrugged, fingers fiddling with the straw in her fruit smoothie. Her privilege to venture off the academy grounds were still revoked, but if a guardian or another close adult took her out for the day, it was considered a "supervised" outing. Kaede didn't like it; she couldn't use her free time to search for her dad, and there really wasn't much to do at the academy itself besides train or sit in your dorm room.

"Is something bothering you? If you're upset because of your punishment, that's your own fault for skipping class."

"Yeah, yeah – I've heard that speech three times already, thank you," she sniped, still not looking at him. Barnaby sighed, taking another sip from his drink; he thought he'd get her out and about the city for a day to give her something to do, but she didn't seem to want to _do_ anything. He couldn't help but wonder what Kotetsu would do in this kind of situation; how would he be handling his teenage daughter as she is now? Then again, he doubt the girl would even _want_ to spend a day with her father if the man had been here for the last four years; the other was an embarrassment even to Barnaby, so he could understand at least that much.

Kaede sat quietly, using the straw to stir the thick, creamy content of her smoothie around, staring at the pink liquid swirling around the glass. Barnaby was starting to wonder where this attitude was coming from; Antonio said he hadn't had any problems with her whenever he took the teen out. She was mostly quiet, since they didn't have much in common, and any approach to the subject about her dad was a little sensitive. Dark brown eyes looked up from the drink to the window of the café, watching the people walking back and forth on their way; she was half hoping her dad would coincidentally stroll by, hands in his pockets, that same silly little cap he always wore and humming to himself. She could imagine herself literally jumping from her chair, running out of the café to stop him, throwing her arms around him, trying not to sob against his chest.

"…Have I done something to upset you, Kaede?" Barnaby's voice snapped her out of her daydream. Her eyes turned to look at him, bright green eyes staring at her curiously and just a little bit concerned. Kaede looked away from him, feeling all the pressure in her chest suddenly well up to her throat, forming words before she could really think about them.

"What's with you…" she whispered softly. The blond man only blinked at her.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"If you have so much free time that you can take me out, then why aren't you searching for dad?" she gritted. Barnaby could only stare at her in surprise, not entirely sure where this question was coming from or what was making the young teen ask it.

"Is it wrong for me to want to spend time with the daughter of my partner? He was always talking about you non-stop, you know," he replied. Kaede didn't seem to like that answer, her hands curling into fists.

"Why now? When he disappeared you didn't even so much as call or write! So why now after four years?"

"I'm…sorry; it's not that I didn't want to, I was just – I guess I made looking for him the only priority in my life," he didn't know any other way to answer that. Kaede finally looked up at him and he could see her chocolate-coloured eyes shimmering with a hint of tears.

"So what – now it isn't anymore?" she snapped. Barnaby frowned at her, opening his mouth to explain himself, but the girl cut him off as she went on, not caring if people were beginning to glance over at their table. "You're giving up too? Just like everyone else – you don't think he's alive, do you!"

"Kaede, enough!" he brought his hand down harder than he meant to. Several heads in the café definitely turned to their direction, suddenly going quiet at the tension between the two hanging in the air. Neither said another word to each other until the curious onlookers got bored and went back to their own business, the chattering starting up again. Barnaby let out a heavy sigh, Kaede bowing her head in apology.

"Kaede… it's not that I've given up; I still think that Kotetsu is very much alive, but – I've spent twenty years living a life of revenge. He knew that was not healthy for me and changed that for me," he tried to explain. "If he saw me now doing the same thing all over again, he'd scold me for trying to dig up my old habits. Besides, he'd feel even worse knowing he was causing me anguish." That time he managed to elicit a small, barely-there smile from the girl, seeing her shoulders relax a little.

"…I'm sorry, but I feel like everyone is giving up on him; grandma won't even mention his name and she always has to 'conveniently' do something every time I try."

"I'm sure when you become a parent yourself, you'll understand."

"Ew, don't!" she made a face. "I want my dad to say that to me – not you!" They shared a laugh, before going back to an oddly comfortable silence, each enjoying their respective drinks. They simply enjoyed the peaceful silence, listening to the clattering and prattle of noises around them. Barnaby stared at the table top for the longest while, before he spoke again.

"He wouldn't want you to be miserable like this," he said softly. "He'd want you out there, enjoying the moments in your life – not letting them slip by because you're too focused on one thing."

"I know… but it's – hard trying to do other things, knowing he might be out there somewhere," she answered back.

"Trust me, I know that more than anyone. I'm just thankful your father was persistent enough to not leave me alone." They both laughed in agreement to that statement; if there were any points that stood out about Kotetsu, it was his endurance and his persistence. The pair sat in comfortable peace, finishing off their orders before Barnaby paid the bill, both leaving the café. When he asked if she wanted to head back to the academy, Kaede shook her head, reaching to take his arm. She giggled at the slight blush on his face, Barnaby hissing at her to let go. She only gave him a devious grin.

"What's the matter? Worried about the media scandalizing you for being caught with a teenage girl?" she taunted. The blush darkened, Barnaby running his free hand through his bangs as he tried to pull away from the girl's grasp.

"T-That's not it! You're – you're my partner's daughter! He'd kill me if he saw this!" he exasperated. Kaede only giggled, giving his arm a quick squeeze before she let him go, seeing him nod in approval. She was beginning to see why her dad liked to tease him so much – the usual cool-guy persona he always displayed for the cameras was easy to shatter whenever he was flustered. It was kind of cute, in a strange, uncharacteristic way; no wonder her dad had taken an intensive interest in this man. Barnaby blinked at the odd smile on her face, the girl waving it off when asked about it as they continued on their outing.

Barnaby let the subject drop, sighing to himself as he shook his head – seems like the daughter was going to pick on him just as much as the father had. A small smile spread on his face at the thought, however; at least a part of Kotetsu wouldn't be too far away.

**-8-**

It was impossible to tell that Christmas was only two weeks away, aside from the usual holiday decorations that Sternbild churned out, lining the streets with colourful lights and green wreaths. The snow had been light this year, almost melting as soon as it fell, the air not quite cold enough to keep it solidified. The sky was murky at best, with rare shimmers of sunlight breaking through the tiny gaps in the clouds; but this snowless winter didn't stop the freezing chills, making everyone bundle up in winter coats and hats.

Antonio gazed out over the cityscape from the large glass windows – it was helping distract his mind, if only a little. He had been sitting down earlier on the lounge chairs provided in this spacious waiting room, but he couldn't keep still. After weeks of interrogation, they had managed to track down both gang leaders with information they got from the teenager they caught during the whole warehouse incident. He still grimaced at the remembrance of those three teens that were shot. Although the Justice Bureau claimed they would handle the leaders, Antonio wanted to do a little side investigation of his own – namely, who the assassin hired to kill those three youths was.

"Sorry for the wait~" the familiar flirtatious voice pulled him from his thoughts. Antonio shifted his gaze from the window to the fiery Hero waltzing into the room, a very shapely female secretary walking behind him. The old veteran tried not to stare openly at the woman as she dropped off the files on the coffee table and sauntered off with exaggerated hip swings back to the office. He was distracted out of his daze at the hand creeping down his back, dangerously close to his rear end, letting out a rather unmanly squeal.

"Now then – shall I tell what I discovered?" Nathan cooed playfully. Antonio quickly recoiled away from the other man, nodding his head hastily as he cleared his throat.

"So – what did you find?"

"Well, getting into Corvi's files was a little difficult, but I had a few favours to use," the other began, sitting down on the couch as he pulled one of the files towards him. "Seems he's not the type to do the dirty work himself, so his bank accounts are flooded with outgoing transactions."

"Any close to the date when those kids were killed?"

"Yes, thankfully it was the only one during that month," Nathan explained, handing the file to the other to see. Antonio took it, seating himself down as he looked through the statements; there were a bunch of numbers he didn't understand, but he could recognize at least what were payments and dates.

"Any way we can trace the other account?"

"That would require going through the actual bank's records – there's just one problem with that, though…" the other explained. "The payment was made in euros – the wiring was made to a foreign account, and with Corvi's assets frozen the culprit can easily erase their tracks by the time we're able to gain access again, if they haven't by now." The dark-haired man let out a heavy sigh, setting the file back down on the coffee table, folding his hands to lean his chin against them. Whoever had been hired left no loose-ends, making it impossible to hunt them down; but if they _could_ get even a vague lead _and_ if it turned out they were related to the other sniper cases, it would be a step closer to stopping these incidents.

"Ah, right – did you find anything about the other thing I asked?" Antonio snapped up as he remembered. Dark rose eyes looked at him for a moment, before the other nodded his head, crossing one leg over the other as he regarded the man across from him with a serious look.

"I did… this 'Akira Hurst' you asked me about… he doesn't exist."

"What!"

"Unless he changed his name without making it official, he hasn't shown up in any databases I've hacked into," Nathan continued, his expression becoming a degree darker. "The only 'Hurst' I've managed to dig up is a man called Aldric, but he's been dead for almost twenty-years now." Antonio buried his chin against his hands again, thick brows furrowing together, the lines on his forehead becoming more prominent. The conversation he had with Barnaby that day after the school hostage scare had been nagging him for a while, but between work, stress and dealing with a semi-rebellious teenage girl he had put it on the back burner. Now that he had more free time thanks to the upcoming holidays, he was thinking about it more than he wanted to admit.

"Antonio – who _is_ this Akira Hurst?" Nathan asked, his voice completely voided of his usual playful octave tone. The other remained silent for the longest while as he tried to come up with an answer himself; he heard a sigh, before looking to the floor.

"…I don't know…" he finally answered honestly. The two men only sat in contemplative silence, each lost to their own thoughts and theories; the deeper they tried to delve into this sniper assassin case, the more and more mysterious it became.

**-Chapter Nine/End-**


	10. Chapter 10

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (may or may not change)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

He didn't think spending just an hour and some minutes with a "friend" could make one feel so high and jovial and just ridiculously happy all in the same frame. Akira hummed softly to himself as he walked back home from work, hands fishing into his coat pocket for the keys once he got close to the house. Lately they had been meeting up at a little restaurant nearby the school, since Akira didn't have a long lunch break, but the mood from those little meets lingered throughout the rest of the day. No wonder William was always out socializing even at odd hours in the morning – if you could feel this happy without harmful substances, having a friend was definitely the best choice. Akira closed the front door, dropping his keys into the basket before reaching to unwrap the dark-coloured scarf from his neck, working on shedding his winter coat.

"Enjoy your little meeting with your Hero today?" a snide voice startled him. Amber brown eyes looked over to the couch, seeing Will leaning over the back a scalding frown on his face. The mood dampened a little, Akira's smile disappearing from his face.

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked in an empty tone. William only stared at him, before shrugging turning his attention back to the TV.

"Look, I know I'm always telling you to make friends, but this guy doesn't count," he said with a curt tone. Akira didn't say anything, pulling his coat off and folded it over his arm; he crossed the room towards the stairs, ignoring the invisible daggers stabbing him in the back as he passed by the couch. William only shouted after him as he climbed up the steps, "What are you going to do when he finds out who you are?"

Akira froze half-way up the stairs, not daring to look back down to the man glaring at his back; he didn't say anything, continuing on up blatantly ignoring the string of profanities the other was cursing at his back. William watched as his housemate disappeared to the upper landing, letting out an aggravated growl as he ruffled a hand through his hair. He picked the remote up and began surfing through channels, not really looking for anything, but just wanting a way to calm down for when the other man reappeared. Akira took the remote out of his hand, putting it on the coffee table in front of them before sitting down in an adjacent arm chair.

"I know it's a bad idea to be buddies with a Hero, but I'm keeping a good distance between us, all right?" Akira started. "I'm not letting him in any more than I already have."

"…And if he just happens to find out? What – you think he'll just let you off the hook just because you're the best of pals?"

"_If_ he somehow manages to figure out who I am – which he won't – I'll just do what our code tells us to do," Akira closed his eyes for a moment, hands folding across his lap before he opened them again. "I'll just kill him." William sat quietly, gazing at the older man with a serious look, watching those typically warm, honey-glazed eyes turn cold and listless behind thin framed glasses.

"…You sure you can do it?"

"I'll mope, whine and cry about it for a while, but I can – and will if it comes to it," he simply answered, leaning back in his seat. "Besides – my relationship with Barnaby isn't affecting my work."

"That – shit, you're a _freak_, Akira! You could be nursing a _baby_ and not miss a single shot, for Christ's sakes!" William groaned, burying his face in his hand. There was an odd flicker of light in honey-brown eyes, before a faint ghost of a sad smile appeared on angular features.

"Yeah… I know…" he answered softly. There was a heavy weight hanging between them as neither men said anything more; after a few more minutes, Akira stood up and mumbled something about curricular planning or other disappearing back upstairs to his room. William only watched his back, dark-eyes following him with a mix of apathy and… fear. He would never admit it out loud, but – Akira scared him sometimes. Not in the sense of skill or talent as far as handling a gun was concerned, but his attitude.

There was not a single assassin in their organization who didn't feel some sort of guilt or remorse over the targets they've killed; those who _did_ enjoy killing usually didn't last very long, as they were careless, messy and easily got caught by the police. Even Will had a few victims he regret and wished he hadn't been the one sent to kill them, but Akira… he was different. He had never sympathized once with any of his victims, and the switch between his normal, everyday kind-hearted self and the professional, elite cold-blooded killer was almost just as chilling. It never ceased to awe William at how easily the man could change – it was as if all he had to do was simply flip a switch and he transformed into a completely different person.

Despite having been partners for a little over two years, he still couldn't get used to this aspect of Akira – the fact that this man could so easily throw away his human emotions and yet still act and function like a normal, passionate being. He sat frozen in his seat for a few moments, before taking a deep breath, reaching out to where the auburn-haired man had put the TV remote down and started searching for something interesting to watch. He needed a good distraction right now; he couldn't do anything about Akira's relationship with Barnaby, so he'd just have to hope the other would remain firm in his resolve.

**-8-**

The work hours were finally over; training at the gym had been vigorous, but oddly revitalizing as the day drew to a close. Ivan and Karina had left early today – something about catching a movie and most likely leading to a dinner date after that. Pao-lin was still sparring with Keith when Barnaby bid them a good day's work, receiving quick, short responses in return from both parties. He only smiled as he watched Keith only barely dodge the kick the teen swung at him. He's been noticing that two had been exceptionally close lately, the wind wizard always helping the lightning Hero with her workouts and agreeing to be her primary sparring partner. It wouldn't surprise Barnaby if they started dating soon; though confessions were long far from happening in the near future. What with Keith's natural air-headedness and Pao-lin's lack of confidence in her own femininity – especially in recent years as her body started to develop more.

"Good work today as always, Handsome~" that playful, flirty voice spoke up from behind. Barnaby glanced over his shoulder to the fiery Hero approaching him.

"Ah – good work today."

"Heading home already~?" Nathan asked with a flirty grin.

"Not yet, I was going to stop by the academy to check up on Kaede."

"Oh my, you've been spending so much time with her lately – it's making me jealous~" the pink-haired man teased with an airy tone. Barnaby only smiled at the tease, spending a few minutes to talk with the other. "You've been quite perky these days, my dear~" Nathan commented, giving the blond a warm smile. Barnaby frowned at the choice of words, eyes shifting to the side as he answered.

"So I've been told… was I really that bad before?"

"Oh honey – _anyone_ could tell you were depressed; someone special lighting up your life?" he prodded playfully, surprised to see a light tint of pink colour the fair skin. Barnaby quickly cleared his throat as he looked away, shaking his head.

"No, nothing like that – just… a really good friend," the blond answered hastily. Finely shaped brows rose up in curiosity, Nathan refusing to let his junior escape without getting any juicy details of this "friend" the younger seemed to have acquired. He was not at all offended by the visible shudder as he draped his arm around the slender shoulder.

"Really now? Finally coming out of that protective shell of yours and reaching out to people, hm?" oh how he loved to torture this poor soul. Barnaby only made a strange noise, trying to wriggle free from the hold. Even if Kotetsu had managed to make him more open with the rest of them, his sense of personal space was still just as narrow as it had been when he first debuted as a Hero. While under normal circumstances, Nathan would respect that space, there were moments when he just _had_ to invade – if only to gain the satisfaction of seeing the man squirm under his touch.

"You're going to make us feel left out with Kaede and this new stranger taking up your time now," Nathan mocked whined. "So – who is this darling that's garnered your attention?" he asked, finally releasing the poor man trapped by his arm. He resisted the urge to giggle as Barnaby let out a sigh of relief at finally being released.

"Do you remember the elementary school hostage situation? The teacher who was taken captive?"

The other stopped to think a moment, trying to recall the event the blond was talking about, before letting out a noise of recognition. "Ah, yes I remember now – oooh, you have certainly picked yourself a good one, Handsome~ Does he have a name?"

"Ah, Akira – we've… bumped into each other a lot before the whole hostage thing." There was a minute pause of silence from the flamboyant Hero that didn't go unnoticed, but Barnaby didn't say anything seeing the smile light up even more on pink-coloured lips.

"Sounds like fun, dear," he answered cheerily – but something about the tone seemed off. Well, off from the typical flare the eccentric man always had. Barnaby didn't call him out on it though, noticing the time as he glanced down at the wristwatch; he bid the other a good day's work before heading off to change out of his workout clothes and swing by the academy. Nathan only waved at the other's back, watching the man disappear through the sliding doors, before the smile dropped from his face into a blank expression.

"…Why didn't you say anything?" a deep rough voice spoke out from behind. Antonio stepped out from his hiding place, having heard most of the conversation.

"And tell him what? That his new BFF technically doesn't exist?" Nathan retorted, looking to the man behind him.

"We don't know who this guy really is, and – I'm not really sure I can trust someone who hides their identity."

"There are plenty of reasons why someone would want to hide themselves – some good, some bad," Nathan countered, folding his arms across his torso. "Besides – Handsome hasn't been this happy in four years, so I think it's safe to assume that this man is harmless for now."

"For Barnaby's sake – he better be…"

**-Chapter Ten/End-**


	11. Chapter 11

****Early update, since I have a good buffer going and it's almost 1 in the morning and I'm looping and thinking it's a good idea. Enjoy~

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Definite chance of romance in the very near future  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

The snow flurried in her face as she walked against the wind, tugging her coat tighter around herself to block out the cold. She really hated the winters in Sternbild sometimes – at least in Oriental Town the snow was consistent, predictable almost, and stuck until as late as early April sometimes. She let out a shivering breath, pulling the scarf up tighter around her neck; the temperature had finally dropped enough to make the snow stick _after_ the Christmas holidays had ended – figures. Despite all the wishes for a fluffy, white Christmas it had only been wet and dreary with barely even two inches of snow.

Kaede sighed as she huddled herself for what little body heat she had left; she should've stolen one of the fire students' powers – some of them naturally had an elevated body temperature as part of their abilities. The new quarter had started at the academy and Kaede was given back her privilege to venture off the grounds without supervision. She had to promise at least five different people not to skip anymore classes or use her powers outside the school, but the latter she figured she could excuse for some exceptions.

"Daaaaddddy~ I'm cold!" a little girl whined. The young teen turned her head to where a father was standing with his daughter, the man giving her a sympathetic smile.

"I know honey, but we have to wait for mommy to come back, alright?" The girl only pouted, tucking her hands under her arms as she shivered against the freezing wind. The father looked to his daughter with a caring smile, undoing the buttons of his overcoat; he reached the open coat around the shivering little girl, picking her up in his arms as he held her close to him. The little girl squealed as she felt herself being lifted up, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"There – is this much better now?" he asked sweetly. The girl nodded her head, giving him the biggest, childish smile in the world, resting her head against his shoulder. Kaede only smiled sadly at the affection, wondering how many times she had reprimanded her own father for trying to pick her up without warning. Even though she was sixteen years old now, she would give anything to have her dad attempt to pick her – he probably could do it too. A lonely sigh escaped her, turning her back to the father and daughter scene as she continued walking on; she made one more promise to Barnaby – and that was to not let her desperation to search for her father get in the way of her life. An easier said task then done, as she still kept looking over her shoulder every time a man matched similar traits of him.

A hand brushed the icy snowflakes off the knitted cap she was wearing, feeling them melt against the warmth from her fingers. She tried to convince herself to go find a cozy little café, maybe get some hot chocolate or something, and stay around for a bit while lazily sipping her drink. That would count as not searching for her dad, right? A sigh – right, as if it was that easy as snapping your fingers; the girl really had to wonder how Barnaby was managing to do it when he had been just as distraught, if not more so. Barely another thought passed her mind when a sudden explosion several feet in front of her resonated, startling several passer-byers as a wave of thick, black smoke rose from the building. Regaining her wits, Kaede ran into action, first checking to make sure no one was fatally injured by the explosion, trying to yell out for people to clear the way or take cover.

She saw vague shadows trying to slip out under the cover of the smoke, shouldering large bulky items very likely containing stolen goods. Dark brown eyes looked to the sky and down the street, waiting to see if any of the Heroes had gotten wind of this yet; not seeing a sign that Hero TV was made aware of the robbery yet, Kaede decided to make the first move. First thing – delay the criminals so the Heroes wouldn't have to spend half a day searching for them. She closed her eyes as she tried to activate the power she was currently hosting – who's was it again? Who did she touch last? She opened her eyes as her body glowed that familiar light blue associated with NEXTs.

She held her hand out to the smoke, feeling a wave of air rush past her effectively sweeping the thick clouds away; wind power – she could handle this. The criminals seemed to notice that their camouflaged escape route was dispersing, instantly freezing on the spot afraid that a certain Wizard of the Wind had already shown up. So when they didn't see a hide or hair of the Hero, Sky High, they were thoroughly confused on where the wind had come from. Kaede decided to use the confusion to her advantage, calling up another burst of wind to knock them off their feet. There was a startled cry, before the three masked bodies scrambled up to face her, eyeing the blue aura around her.

"SHIT! A NEXT!" one of them yelled out.

"Shoot her, idiot! She's just a kid!" another snapped. They each pulled out a handheld gun, aiming it at her and opened fire without mercy. Kaede was thankful that most of the civilians had already fled the area, concentrating the wind to create a barrier around her to deflect the bullets flying at her. Seeing that the guns were ineffective, they decided the best choice was to run for it, turning on their heels and bolted. Kaede took off after them, hoping that the Heroes by now knew of this robbery and that she was buying them enough time till they arrived.

She chased them down the block, before trying to gather enough wind under her to project herself in front of their path to cut them off. It proved to be more difficult than expected without the extra boost of a jetpack and her landing ended up on top of one of them. Good enough for her; she quickly recovered summoning wind on both sides to knock the remaining two thieves off their feet, hearing them fall back with a grunt. She let out a startled yelp at suddenly being thrown off, the man underneath her managing to scramble back up to his feet, gun aimed at her head.

"Why you little…" Kaede let out a cry as she swept her hand up, creating a wind spurt. His hand was knocked up by the force, his finger pulling the trigger on reflex, firing the shot unintentionally into the air. Pulling herself together, Kaede got up to her feet and lunged at the man, closing her hand into a fist as she clocked him clear across the jaw. He stumbled to the ground, the teen shaking her hand at the slight pain in her knuckles; she wondered how her dad always managed punching with his bare fist without it hurting. There was a groan as the man slowly sat back up, rubbing at his jaw as he glared furiously at the young teen girl standing in front of him.

"You – big mistake!" he lurched forward on to his feet at her. Kaede held her hands up in defense as she took several steps back in attempts to put distance between them. There was barely a minute between them before an arm reached out of nowhere, taking the man in a sweeper hold around the neck as he was thrown down to the ground. Kaede stood in surprised, looking up at who she was expecting to be one of the Heroes, but it wasn't – it was just an ordinary man, dressed in a thick, grey winter coat, standing over the criminal with his own gun pointing at him.

"Easy there, mister – I doubt I'd get away with the excuse of 'self-defense' if you try anything funny," the newcomer warned. The thief only gritted his teeth, looking to his two companions to see that they were still thoroughly knocked out and wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He only cursed at the man smiling triumphantly over him, holding his hands above his head.

"Good boy," without a second warning, a kick to the head knocked him right out. The stranger fiddled with the gun in his hands, dumping the remaining bullets to the ground, before tossing it. He turned around to face the girl still standing in awe behind him, a warm smile flashing on angular features.

"You should really leave these kinds of things to the Heroes, you know miss," his honey-brown eyes laughed behind thin frames. Kaede couldn't say anything, recognizing him as the teacher from the elementary school; she kept searching – roaming everything about him. His height, the shape of his face, the colour of his eyes, his hair – she had dismissed it before, but maybe it had been the mood at the time. Seeing him again, this closely and actually _looking _at him, the word was threatening to spill from her lips before she could even stop it.

"Da…"

"LOOK OUT!" he suddenly cried out, rushing at her without any warning. Kaede only stiffened as she felt strong, sturdy arms wrap around her frame, pushing her to the ground before a loud _crash_ sound echoed on the spot she had been standing. She was in shock for a few moments – not from the sudden motion of being shoved to the ground, but at the comforting warmth of the embrace. The man carefully picked himself off of her, looking to where a now broken and very large ceramic flower bed laid scattered and in pieces, the flowers ripped to shreds and dirt splattered everywhere against the white snow. He let out a breath of relief, carefully getting off of the teen lying tense underneath him.

"You alright? Sorry about that," he brushed the snow off his coat, looking up to where the flower bed had fallen from. "Looks like the support was knock loose from that bullet earlier and the weight made it gave way." He held his hand out to help her up, Kaede staring at it for the longest while before hesitantly taking it; he gave her a warm smile, patting her shoulder as he brushed off some of the snow.

"You should go home and rest – even though that was some amazing tricks you did there, best left to the professionals, okay?" he lectured lightly. Kaede only nodded her head, the man giving her one last pat before he strode off in the opposite direction, pulling at his coat to block against the sudden chill. Dark chocolate eyes watched his back; she remembered his name, Barnaby had told her once – Akira Hurst. The thought suddenly struck as she realised that he touched her; he had touched her! She quickly activated her powers, praying, hoping and whatever else possible as her body glowed – her heart dropped in an instant.

She didn't feel it – there was no surge of power, no surge of energy, of strength; she didn't feel like she could jump building structures, she didn't feel like she could outrun a sports' car – she didn't feel anything. Nothing like she always felt when she had her dad's powers, or "borrowed" Barnaby's for a spell. Shakily, she waved a hand, seeing the snowflakes dance in a mini whirl-wind before it died out; she still had the same power before Akira touched her.

"Miss Wild! What happened here?" Sky High's enthusiastic voice broke through the tension, landing on the scene to see three wanted criminals knocked out, a pile of dirt and flowers on the ground and tears streaming down the girl's face. He gently touched a hand to her shoulder, giving her a subtle squeeze. "Miss Wild?"

She reached a hand up to wipe away at her tears, shaking her head; Sky High didn't say anything, reluctantly letting her shoulder go, rounding up the unconscious criminals to hand over to the police. He radioed back to the others that the thieves had already been taken care of and that Kaede was at the scene. There were several panicked strings of nags from Rock Bison, demanding to know the situation as to why the young teen was there in the first place; Barnaby had been considerably calmer to the news. Sky High escorted her back to Justice Tower, where the two would be waiting to give her a stern reminder about her earlier promises. However, all thoughts and promises to lecture the girl till next week were instantly throw out the window when both men saw the expression on her face, her eyes a little red from the tears.

"Kaede?" Barnaby spoke softly. The girl didn't look up at him for a moment, before she suddenly rushed at him, arms going around his waist as she cried against his chest. Barnaby stood flustered for a moment, about to try and remove the youth from him but froze at the whispered, broken words.

"…you're…you're r-right… h-he isn't dad…" she choked in between sobs. Mint green eyes only blinked at her in confusion, Barnaby placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, asking her to explain. Kaede didn't pull away, somehow managing to retell the situation from start to finish.

"…I – I touched him, but my powers… they didn't change – they didn't change after I touched him!" a fresh batch of tears broke as the realisation sunk in deeper. Barnaby slowly wrapped his arms around her, letting the girl cry against him.

"I'm sorry…"

"I thought… I was so sure he was dad! I-I know you told me otherwise, but I thought…" her voice trailed off, her hold tightening to an almost bone-crushing squeeze. Barnaby didn't say anything, simply holding the teen until she was able to calm down again; he had already known – he knew for a while now that Akira wasn't Kotetsu, having spent so much time with the man by now. The fact that Kaede didn't gain the hundred-power after touching Akira only cemented it further. He reached a hesitant hand to slowly pat her head, not saying a word – not even sure what he _could_ say.

Antonio could only stand by as he watched the daughter of his absent best friend slowly break down under the emotional build up. Despite Nathan's warnings to not bring up the mystery behind Akira Hurst, he had been tempted to tell the ex-King of Heroes what they had discovered about this "friend". However, he was feeling conflicted – while true he didn't like the idea of one of his comrades having a "ghost" friend, Barnaby hasn't been happy – really happy – since Kotetsu's disappearance. And he really didn't need to have the other at his throat for "doubting" any intentions Akira might have. He heaved a sigh, watching as Kaede finally calmed down enough that she released her hold on Barnaby, trying to make herself presentable before going back to the academy. At least he didn't have to worry about this mystery man being a NEXT of some sorts.

**-Chapter Eleven/End-**


	12. Chapter 12

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Definite romance in this chapter  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

"…and the look on her face was priceless! I think she had a better opinion of me after I retrieved her son's gold pin," Akira laughed, taking a sip from the wine glass in his hand. Barnaby only smiled, shaking his head before taking a sip from his own glass.

"You are certainly one extraordinary teacher," Barnaby commented. The man only grinned at him, swirling the deep red contents of his glass. They were currently sitting in Akira's living room; the radio was tuned in to some soft mellow jazz playing quietly in the background, an open bottle of red wine sitting on the coffee table in front of them. William had stepped out for the night to go bar-hopping with some friends, leaving the pair with the whole complex to themselves. Barnaby sighed wistfully, simply enjoying the other's company as he listened to him tell all sorts of stories. It was drawing close to eight months now since he met Akira, and the times they spent together were few and far between, but they were the best moments of the blonde's life.

While he knew he should be more diligent with trying to find his missing partner, he was finding it harder and harder to really put the focus and almost obsessive devotion he had before, without thinking about how the elder Hero would scold him. If given a choice, he knew Kotetsu would rather have him continue on with his life then waste it trying to find him. That man just simply couldn't stand having someone worrying or anguishing over him.

"You sure it's alright for you to be here? I mean – what about 'duty call' and all that?" Akira asked.

"It's fine – if I get a call, then I'll have to apologize to you and be on my way," Barnaby answered plainly. For some reason, it made the other chuckle a little, Akira finishing what little wine was left in his glass before reaching for the bottle to pour another glass.

"Ah, well – long as you know your priorities then," he held the bottle up to the blond, noticing he was getting a little low as well. Barnaby debated about it for a moment, but decided to go for it holding his glass up so the dark-haired man could fill it. It seemed unlikely that he'd be getting any emergency calls tonight, not at this hour at least. The two settled into a comfortable silence, sitting back and savouring the taste of the wine as they ponder what topic to talk about next.

"How's, um, the searching been?" Akira finally asked hesitantly. Mint green eyes glanced at him with a curious look, seeing the other rub his neck. "I mean – I know it's not my place to tell you what to do, but it sounded like it was pretty important to you. So – just wondering if you had any luck."

"I… took your advice instead, actually," Barnaby admitted. Honey-brown eyes turned to stare at him in slight surprise; the blond looked away, staring into his glass. "Well that is – thinking about, this person would be very upset with me if I continued the way I was going…"

"Person? Wait – so you're actually looking for someone?"

"…yes… this person was… very important to me," Barnaby answered slowly. He hadn't quite told Akira _what_ it was he was looking for, but the man hadn't really asked about it either. He wasn't really sure what was compelling him to tell the man either – or maybe he was finally just this comfortable with him. Akira hummed as he took another sip, staring up to some spot on the wall opposite of them.

"Must be to run yourself ragged like that; family member? Or lover?"

"No, just a very good friend to me," the younger began, gazing sadly to the carpeted floor. "They – changed me, helped shape me into who I am today; if it weren't for them, I doubt I'd be able to appreciate life as it is, so I'm very grateful to them."

"Sounds like a pretty influential person."

"Probably more so than they realised," Barnaby laughed softly as he spoke. There was an odd sort of understanding between them as silence settled once again. Akira reached over from where he was sitting, gently tapping the Hero on the shoulder, flashing him a warm smile as forest green eyes turned to blink at him.

"If you ever want help finding them, I'm pretty good at picking a face out of the crowd," Akira offered. "Got to be, since I have to keep track of fifteen to twenty kids on field trips," he joked, seeing a small smile light up fair features.

"I'll let you know if I need an expert opinion," Barnaby teased in return, seeing the man take a fake stab at his chest. "In return, I'll help you find what you're looking for." That last statement earned Barnaby a strange look from the elementary teacher; amber-honey eyes looked at him with a confused expression. Barnaby felt his cheeks heat up, quickly turning his face away from the other to hide his embarrassment. Akira blinked at him a few more times, before reclining back in his seat with a sigh, taking a rather large drink of his wine.

"What makes you think I'm looking for something?" he asked warmly. Barnaby shifted in his seat for a moment, not daring to face the man.

"…the way you said it… when we first met – that wasn't just passing advice," he explained. "It sounded like the kind of advice you would give from experience – not just because you see someone suffering and want to alleviate their pain." There was a long moment of pause from the man, before an odd sort of smile appeared on his face, swirling the red liquid in his glass.

"You're pretty sharp for your age, I'll give you that," he complimented. For some reason that made Barnaby feel even more self-conscious, quickly downing the last of his wine in his own glass. Akira lectured something about "wasting" good wine, but settled for pouring the Hero another glass.

"So, I'm right then?" Barnaby questioned.

"Yeah, you're right, but… well, what I'm looking for isn't quite as tangible as a person, I'm afraid," the auburn haired man sighed, lifting his glass to his face, watching the light bounce off the surface. Barnaby only blinked at him, watching him as he waited for the other to continue on; when it didn't seem like he would, the blond decided to take the initiative.

"What are you looking for exactly?"

"…my past…" Akira finally said after a long stretch of silence. Barnaby looked at him in surprise, watching him as he put the glass down on the table. Akira leaned back with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes for a moment, hands folded across his lap as began to explain further.

"I – apparently was caught up in a horrible accident four years ago; I was told I was in a coma for a year, and when I woke up – I couldn't remember anything at all."

"Do you… remember anything about the accident? Anything at all?" Barnaby's voice quivered as he asked that. Although he had long accepted the fact, hearing that the man sitting next to him had been involved in an accident that could've happened around the same time his partner disappeared was a little – unnerving. Akira shook his head.

"Nothing – not my name, my age, where I came from, nothing; everything was a complete blank," he grieved. "The person who took care of me said I was practically dead, and the doctors weren't even sure I'd wake up. I was told – I kind of threw a fit when I first woke up; something about being shocked by my environment or something, didn't really pay that much attention to the psychiatrist."

Barnaby only sat and listened quietly to the man trying to tell his story – of what little he could remember of it. Even the basics of how to interact with other people had been lost to him, Akira explaining how after he re-learned social cues and behaviors he spent the next three months trying to figure out who he was.

"I went everywhere, but I just – didn't recognize anything, or anyone. 'Akira Hurst' was just like a tag to me at the time, because people needed _something_ they could call me by; I didn't like it," the man's tone darkened a little, as his hands tightened together. Barnaby didn't really know what to say; he couldn't imagine what it had to have been like for Akira – not knowing who you were, or even what your own personality was like. It was as if the man had just suddenly become a blank sheet of paper with years and years of history erased without warning. "I was obsessed with it; I couldn't bring myself to think about anything else except to finding out who I was."

"So how did you let it go? Obviously, you did somehow, I mean – you wouldn't be who you are now, right?"

"Ah that – it's kind of ironic, really… I'm not exactly sure why, but this kid just ran up to me one day and stabbed me in the stomach," Akira explained casually. Barnaby was sure his jaw slacked a little, seeing as the older man snickered softly, nodding his head. "Yeah, I'm not too sure of it myself – and in the holiday crowds, he easily slipped away."

He continued on with the tale, saying how he didn't even let the pain or the blood stop him from wandering, only finally stopping when his legs gave way and he collapsed near an alleyway. He could remember the people passing by him, ignoring him thinking he was some sort of homeless beggar. He remembered thinking how pathetic the situation was to him – he woke up as a nobody, and there he was, going to die as a nobody.

"And then that's where Will comes in – I know he's an ass most of the time, but he's got a soft spot for picking up strays," Akira joked. "He's the one who picked me up, brought me home and treated my wound." He paused a moment to let the prospect that his housemate could actually have a good heart sink in with the younger man, before he continued on.

"I still remember the view when I woke up – I remember looking out the window at the snow and thinking, 'how beautiful'," there was a tenderness in the dark-haired man's posture as he spoke, eyes turning to stare up at the ceiling overhead. "I had spent so long trying to figure out who I was, that I completely missed the seasons changing; I didn't even notice how white or soft new fallen snow was, what it felt like to see people smiling, hearing laughter ringing in my ears – I was missing everything."

"And you let it all go just like that? After realizing all the things you were letting slip by?" Barnaby questioned, genuinely intrigued at the other's courage. Akira laughed, shaking his head.

"Oh god no – it was hard, I mean, _really_ hard to 'let it go' just like that, but… I guess I had some help. I still think about it from time to time, but I'm – happy as I am now," he smiled. "I might've been a good person, or I might've been a bad person, who knows but… I look at this like a clean slate, a chance to start my life over again, you know? I mean, I wouldn't turn away the chance to find out who I am, but – I'm happy with the person I am now."

Barnaby only regarded him with silence and slight amazement; he didn't think he would transition quite as well as the man sitting on the couch with him had. He had just barely managed to keep himself together during the year he took off from the Hero business, trying to find some sort of purpose or meaning to his life. He had spent months just aimlessly wandering in and out of his apartment, with no real direction or goal to dictate his life; he had considered contacting Kotetsu during that year, but he figured the other was busy trying to rebuild his own life and had his own issues to worry about. It was almost inspiring, hearing how this man was able to settle with his life 'as is', without being haunted by the weight of a past he had lost.

They talked for several more hours, conversations going this way and that, sometimes talking about past episodes of HeroTV, other times talking about normal life in general. Their evening finally came to an end when Barnaby glanced up at the oddly shaped red clock housed up on a shelf over the TV and saw it read just past midnight. He put his glass down on the coffee table next to the nearly empty bottle of wine, before slowly getting up to his feet.

"It's getting late – I should be going," he pointed out. Akira only gave him an owl look before stealing a glance from the clock, letting out a hum in agreement.

"Just as well – Will's probably going to be stumbling back here soon." His own glass joined the empty one the blond had put down, standing up with a stretch as his back cricked and cracked, groaning something about getting old. Barnaby only smiled, walking over to the coat rack on the wall by the door to retrieve his jacket; Akira walked behind to open the front door him, flinching at the cold air brushing in.

"Thanks for tonight – I enjoyed our talks," Barnaby nodded as he pulled his jacket close. Akira only waved a hand as he grinned.

"I should be thanking you – you're a good kid, keeping this old man company when you could be out with a cute date," he teased. The blond only shook his head, but still smiled nonetheless. He bid goodnight and started down the steps, amber-honey eyes watching him with a far-off look.

"…Hey – um, Barnaby?" Akira suddenly called out timidly. He stopped just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, mint green eyes looking over his shoulder to blink at the older man curiously. Akira didn't say anything, walking out into the snow in his house slippers, stopping just a step above Barnaby as he held on to the black iron railing, leaning over to lightly press his lips against pale pink ones. Barnaby froze at the soft touch against his skin, barely having time to react before the auburn haired man pulled away in an instant.

"…good night…" he whispered softly. He quickly turned to run up the stairs, trying not to slip on the ice, hoping to make it through the door before the blond had time to respond. He wasn't expecting the hand that grabbed his wrist that quickly, holding him in place as he sensed the other's presence come up behind him. He tensed as the blond turned him to face him, nearly jumping at the hand reaching around the back of his head, pulling their faces close together. Honey-brown eyes went wide in surprise as Barnaby placed his mouth over his in a much deeper, more thoughtful kiss compared to the peck he tried to sneak in. Akira couldn't respond for a moment before he felt his body relax into the embrace, reaching his free arm around the slender waist; Barnaby had let his wrist go, using the chance to wrap his arm around the broad shoulder, Akira taking him completely around the waist.

After what seemed like an eternity in senselessness, Barnaby pulled away first his breathing slightly labored and a dark pink flush colouring his cheeks. Akira's face was just as red, his breathing heavier than the blonde's slowly letting his arms slide away from the warm body as he was released.

"Good night," Barnaby whispered back, almost like he was afraid that the words would break the mood. Akira didn't say anything, only nodding his head; there was a long moment of silence between them before Barnaby backed away slowly, treading back down the steps. He only looked briefly over his shoulder to where the stunned teacher was standing, quickly looking away as he headed off down the dimly lit sidewalk. Akira only watched him go, fingers hesitantly touching his lips at the warmth still lingering from the kiss they just shared; that had surprised him. It had felt… surprisingly nice.

"…I saw that…" Akira nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sudden voice, eyes darting to the side to where William was hiding in the shadows. Sharp dark eyes were glaring at him menacingly, the corners of his mouth drawn in a sharp frown and looking far too sober for someone who just hopped through six different bars.

"Will, hey! When did – how… um… how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Will's tone was grim. The elder didn't say anything, quickly ducking into the house before he froze to death, the shaggy haired man following in strides after. The door slammed hard, William not even bothering to tear at his winter gear as he regarded his partner with a furious gaze.

"What are you thinking? Tell me – what _the hell_ are you thinking, Akira?" he asked, not holding back the rage or contempt in his voice.

"I wasn't…" the man grieved, pulling off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. William made a strangled noise of frustration, pacing a bit before he took in a deep breath, making a calming motion with his hands.

"No, you know what… s'all cool, fine, fine – you like another guy, okay I'm cool with that – _are you out of your fucking **mind**?_" he snapped. "He's a fuckin' _Hero_! What happened to that '_safe_' distance you were bragging about, huh?"

"I wasn't expecting him to kiss me back…"

"Oh really? Sure seemed like hell he would! What the fuck make you think he wouldn't, huh? Sorry, but my gaydar's been off the charts since you starting being all '_giggly'_ with the guy! What – were you trying to stimulate some sort of awkward, keep-your-distance tension? Cause let me tell you – there's tension now, and not the disturbed kind! How could you –"

"I thought he was in love with someone else, alright!" Akira finally snapped, looking up at the dark-haired man ranting at him. William fell silent at the statement, hands dropping to his side as he refrained from saying anymore. Akira sighed, burying his face in his hand, "I thought… I was expecting to be rejected, alright? I didn't think… the way he was always talking about some person, I thought he was in love with them. So when he kissed me back, I couldn't…" He stopped, not really sure where his thoughts were going, or where they even were at the time when his body had moved without thinking. All anger and fury melted away from Will as the tension in his shoulders relaxed, staring at his partner with a troubling look.

"…You know _he_ watches us every waking hour of the day…" he stated softly. "…He's going to make you kill him, Akira…" The other didn't say anything; he pulled out a cleaning cloth from his back pocket, quickly wiping the lens of his glasses clean before putting them back on his face.

"…I know…" No more words past between them, William realizing just how warm he felt still wrapped up head to toe in a winter coat and scarf, quietly pulling them off as he headed upstairs to his room. Barely two hours had passed before there was a quiet knock on their front door, both knowing immediately what it was despite this early hour in the morning. Will went to answer it, pulling the door open to find no one there – it was usually like that. He opened the flap of the mailbox hanging on the wooden wall lining their house, eyeing the thickly wrapped package tucked inside. He pulled it out, quickly closing the door behind him as he crossed the living room, reaching for the mini player hiding on the shelf.

Once he had plugged the player up to the TV and set it up, he ripped the package wrapping open, sliding out a small black disc into his palm, placing it in the open compartment. He picked the remote up from the coffee table, sitting down on the couch next Akira, who had been staring at everything but the screen. Before William could turn on the TV, a hand covered over his, stopping him. Dark eyes only gazed at the man next to him, seeing a strange flicker of conflict he had never seen before in light brown eyes.

"…we'll have to know the details…"

"What's there to know – I already know it's meant for me."

"…it might have a set up plan _he_ wants us to use."

"I don't need it…" Akira stood up, taking the remote from long tanned fingers. "I'm doing this _my_ way, whether he likes it or not. I need… time to prep, that's all." William didn't say anything. Akira put the remote down on the table, heading towards the stairs to lock himself in his room for a while – most likely to plan his next move and the next ten steps ahead for this. However, he knew it was just an excuse – Akira wanted the time to nullify the feelings he had developed, the shimmer of humanity that was slowly blooming in him. Will couldn't help the sick feeling settle in his gut; Akira wanted no regrets, and the fact that this man was scared of his own emotions – of becoming "_human_" again, it was – more than just terrifying. He folded his hands together, leaning his elbows on his knees as pressed his chin against them, forcing himself not to rock in his seat; he didn't want to admit it, but he had been – somewhat glad Akira had been reaching out to the Hero.

Even though he knew it was probably the worst idea in the world, there were things the blond had brought out in Akira that were never there before. He was beginning to feel for the more innocent targets they had acquired; not to the point that was socially normal, no – he still didn't feel regret for killing them, but he was beginning to show mourning. Lighting a candle for the undeserving victim after they came back from a mission, or leaving a single rose at the grave stone several days after the kill – little things, like an apology that their life was taken away from them so cruelly; it wasn't the same as guilt, but it was a definite improvement. William sighed, raking his fingers through his shaggy bangs; he didn't even want to _think_ how this kill would change Akira, if it did at all.

And it was that thought that was scaring him the most – that after Akira killed Barnaby he would be the exact same person as he had always been before the Hero came into the picture.

**-Chapter Twelve/End-**


	13. Chapter 13

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Definite romance floating around somewhere...  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

Walking into the training center days after that night, Barnaby wasn't sure what kind of feelings were fluttering in his head; actually, in all honesty he wasn't even sure _what_ he _should_ be feeling right now. The kiss he had shared with Akira had been – pleasant, for lack of a better term – but at the same time he hadn't realised just how far their friendship had really gone; he wasn't even sure if they could call each other friends now. Did this make them lovers now? It didn't really feel quite like that to him, and it really had been sort of "on the whim" action and reaction for both of them; the blond had a feeling that Akira hadn't really meant to kiss him that night. Barnaby let out a low whine, messaging his temples – he was just running himself in circles with this maybe-love-maybe-extremely-like thought warring in his head. Did all relationships start off this complicated?

"Barnaby – do you have a moment?" he was surprised when he was stopped by Rock Bison, eyeing the serious look on his senior's face. They've been talking more lately, mostly since it was mutually agreed that they shared an unofficial guardianship over Kaede and had been seeing each other a lot more whenever the teen was concerned.

"Is everything alright?" Barnaby asked. He was a little surprised to see Nathan walk over to them, but it was more shocking to see the usually flamboyant and exaggerated Hero look so somber and serious. Something was definitely wrong and Barnaby couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Shall we talk about this somewhere a bit more private?" Nathan suggested. The usual playful tone was gone, replaced by a softer, almost foreboding tone – it was the kind of tone he used whenever he was about to deliver disturbingly bad news. Barnaby didn't like this – they walked away from the main gym, out of the lounge and to more a secluded hallway, the two older Heroes facing their junior.

"This is going to go very badly, I'm sure but – Bison and I have been talking about it for a while now, and think you need to know," Nathan began, going into an authoritative mode that Barnaby rarely ever saw. It was making him even more anxious for whatever news it was these two had to share with him. There was a long moment of silence as the two looked between each other, seeing Antonio give a short nod of his head; Nathan sighed, trying to gather his thoughts as he tried to figure out the easiest way to explain this.

"Bison and I have been looking into certain – things; some of it is related to the assassin cases," he hesitated, before steeling his nerve to continue on. "And… we've been looking on information about your – friend, Akira Hurst." Almost immediately Barnaby went on defensive, and both elders knew this was going to go bad real fast. Before any of them could exchange another word, their call bands went off, hearing the all too familiar voice of their director.

"_Bonjour_ Heroes~" Barnaby didn't wait for them to continue their conversation, immediately answering the call as he took off to retrieve his Hero suit and head out to their mission. Agnes had just gotten the biggest tip in her career, and was just brimming with energy at the potential ratings it would bring in. Nathan and Antonio only sighed, the larger of the two glaring down at his call band after ending the call.

"He's not going to let us bring up the subject again," Nathan grieved, moving ahead to suit up. Antonio let out a huge sigh, before following behind the flame Hero.

"We'll just have to make him listen then – whether he likes it or not."

"Oh my~ who know you could be so forceful~" the dark-skinned man teased, reaching over to give the burly man a playful pinch. Antonio let out a high squeal, hands covering his poor assaulted ass as he turned to glower at the man running ahead of him.

"Will you _ever_ stop harassing me?"

"Oh, but your butt is just so fiery, I can't help myself~" he winked and blew a kiss over his shoulder, making the dark-haired man shudder. Antonio let out a low growl before shaking his head, going to pick up his own suit for the call.

**-8-**

They were answering an anonymous tip – apparently a missing shipment of supposedly legal over-the-counter drugs had been stolen last week; when questions arise as to why anyone would want to steal something so trivial, the case was instantly met with "private" matters answers. The tip Agnes had received revealed that those "legal" drugs was actually a guise for a highly trafficked, very high-selling simulation drug that had been banned in several countries already due to its extreme side effects and addictiveness. The Heroes were currently staked around a building condemned for demolish in another month or so – where the exchange of this shipment to an underground dealer would take place.

"Bonjour Heroes~ This is a big case, so make sure _no one_ escapes that building, got it?" Agnes stressed, but she was beaming at the chance of cracking down a big time drug dealer. Everyone had split up into groups of two or three, surrounding the abandoned building. Barnaby had the misfortunate to end up with Rock Bison in his group, blatantly ignoring the veteran as he focused on the entrance in front of them. Antonio didn't say anything, and despite that his face was hidden by his armor, Barnaby knew he was giving that nagging look. There was a wait period while Agnes and the crew set up the cameras to be ready for a live feed, but it was taking some time as there were some unexpected technical difficulties on their end. Antonio decided to take the opportunity to talk to the other.

"Look, Barnaby – I know you don't want to hear about it, but it might be serious."

"Whatever it is you and Fire Emblem have found out about Akira, I'm sure there's a perfectly valid reason. I've known him for over eight months now – he's not dangerous," Barnaby snapped, still not taking his eyes off the building. Antonio only sighed, looking off to the sides where the other Heroes were waiting.

"It's not so much what we found… it's what we _didn't_ find…" he explained hesitantly. That time the blond did glance over his shoulder at him, but with the face plate down and covering his expression, Antonio wasn't sure what kind of stare the other was giving him. He hadn't quite mastered the ability to read Barnaby's moods like Kotetsu had. Before any more could be said, Agnes' eager voice came through the lines.

"Alright – we've finally got everything cleared! So be ready to infiltrate on our signal."

"Going live in 5…4…3…" Barnaby rushed in first, not wanting to stick around in case Rock Bison decided to continue the lecture regardless, seeing Origami Cyclone and Dragon Kid run in as well. They barely got to the entrance before an explosion from the upper floors distracted them, all eyes looking up to the smoke emitting from the top floors. They heard a shriek pierce through their coms, no doubting it was Agnes lamenting at the loss of their prospecting targets on live TV no less.

"Hold on! They might still be alive!" Blue Rose's voice called out.

"It's quite possible – that explosion came from the top floors; the meeting was somewhere on the lower floors," Fire Emblem acknowledged. Agnes seemed to regain some composure as she began barking commands for a search and rescue capture, as well as making sure the illegal goods were confiscated. They all answered with an affirmative "yes ma'am" before half of them rushed in to secure their targets. Barnaby had rushed in ahead first, climbing up the stairs two at a time with Dragon Kid and Origami following close behind; they split up at different floors, Origami stopping at the first, Dragon Kid on the second and Barnaby cutting off at the third.

He did a quick sweep of the floor, not finding any signs of anyone and was about to head back to the stairs to continue on up. The building shook as another explosion sounded from above, causing him to waver on his feet a little. Agnes was beyond rationing at this point, all but cursing at the situation literally falling apart before her eyes; she couldn't cut HeroTV now – not like this, not with three, now four Heroes inside a collapsing building as Sky High rushed in.

"Do you think it's Lunatic?" Dragon Kid's voice echoed through their open lines.

"Not his style – besides, he doesn't need bombs to take care of criminals," Barnaby pointed out, still climbing the stairs. There was a third explosion, this time causing the floors above to crack a little, rubble raining down from above. The blond only grit his teeth – at this rate, they would be crushed along with the criminals they were supposed to catch.

"I found them!" Origami's voice suddenly echoed out.

"Where?"

"Fifth floor – there's a small catty-corner leading off to another room – ah!" his voice cut off, no doubt due to a bullet being fired at him. Barnaby tracked back down to the fifth floor, meeting up with Dragon Kid and Sky High along the way before they located the corner Origami was talking about, seeing the samurai-armored Hero pressed up against the door frame as a fury of bullets were flying past him. They could hear distinct cursing from inside the room as they tried to move in closer. Sky High conjured up a wind storm meant as a distraction, which worked as the shooting stopped for a moment, allowing Dragon Kid to run and aim her lightning bolts to effectively knock the four men in the room out cold.

"We got them!" Barnaby informed the others. "How's the situation outside?"

"Blue Rose has managed to stabilize most of the upper floors, but her ice isn't going to hold out for long," Fire Emblem answered, looking over to where the icy queen was standing. Blue Rose had her arms out trying to support the ice pillars keeping the top floors from collapsing through the building, but the strain was beginning to wear her down, little cracks beginning to appear in the ice. Quickly gathering up the unconscious criminals and the taking up the crate housing the drugs, the four of them rushed out, clearing the entrances just as the ice snapped in pieces, the whole building falling into itself in a kick of dust and smoke.

"Good thing this was meant to be demolished anyways," Rock Bison commented off-handedly, trying to lighten the mood. Only a few of them laughed. Barnaby looked down to the men they had essentially saved, looking back to the building; he couldn't help but feel that this had been all too convenient. Agnes was sighing in relief on the other end, sinking into her chair with a tired moan that the Heroes made it out alright _and_ still captured their targets and obtain the stolen goods.

Fire Emblem made his way over to where Barnaby was standing, and even if he couldn't see the other's face under his mask, Barnaby knew that kind of serious look he was receiving. He didn't face him, looking to the unconscious men lying on the ground instead; he heard a heavy sigh.

"Look Handsome, I know how much this man has influenced you these past several months, but it's something you should be aware of…" the words trailed off as Nathan let out a startled gasp. Barnaby could only stare in shock as blood began seeping from one of the bodies on the ground. The one next to it twitch, and the one next to that and finally the last body flinched, a silent gag falling from parted lips as blood began to stain the ground. Mint green eyes quickly looked to the vague direction where the shots had come from, Fire Emblem trying to regain his wits of what just happened here.

Barnaby took off in a flash towards the building behind them, ignoring the shouts from the others as he headed towards the door, near breaking it down as he stumbled in. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could without the use of his powers, running through every floor, going through every room that was open. It wasn't until he reached the seventh floor, taking a quick look as he passed by an open room; he paused before slowly taking several steps back, looking again as he saw a tall silhouette leaning against the window across the room. Barnaby felt his shoulders slack, eyes staring wide in shock and confusion as he slowly shook his head.

"N-no… it can't be…" The figure across the room straightened up away from the window sill, a hand reaching into their pant pocket. Barnaby felt his entire innards go numb, not wanting to believe what he was seeing in front of him, as honey-amber eyes gazed listlessly at him.

"You really are sharp for your age," the voice was cold, empty almost as he spoke. The blond could feel his hands shaking, his voice unsteady and fearful.

"Akira…" The hand suddenly withdrew from the pocket, tossing something out between them. Barnaby flinched, holding an arm up over his eyes as a blinding white flash temporarily robbed him of his sight. Once the light had died down and he was able to see again, the spot where Akira had been standing was vacant. He ran over to the window, leaning out as he scanned the area below, seeing nothing before hearing a soft _clink_ from above. He glanced up quickly just to see the man reeling up towards the roof, disappearing over the ledge; gritting his teeth, Barnaby withdrew from the window and headed for the stairs, dashing up to the roof. He slammed the door with enough force to throw it off its hinges, looking up in time to see Akira grappling to a building adjacent to them. He activated his powers, taking off after the dark-haired man without a second's hesitation, easily catching up to him on the second roof top; he snatched the other by the wrist, jerking Akira a little as he pulled the man to a stop.

"What's going on? Why are you here? Are you…" he paused, trying to force the tears out of his voice as he spoke. "Did you… really shoot those men just now…?" Akira didn't say anything, not looking at him as nothing but wind whistled past them. Barnaby tightened his grip even more, jerking the other's body to face him, lifting his face plate so he could stare at the man eye to eye.

"Answer me, Akira!" He was startled by the small, cylinder mouth piece wedged between the other's lips, confused for a moment before he heard a _click_, hearing a low hissing sound following it. He barely had time to react at the cloud of gas being shoved into his exposed face. Barnaby coughed, covering a hand over his mouth and nose, but he could already feel his grip weakened, Akira taking the opportunity to pull his wrist free. The blond felt his knees shake, before sinking to the ground, trying to support himself on his arms as more of the gas leaked out of its container that Akira had tossed in front of him. His elbows buckled, falling face first to the concrete flooring, forest green eyes glaring up at the man standing over him.

Akira only looked at him with a blank face, the warmth Barnaby had been so overly familiar with was gone from honey-brown eyes; all that was left was a cold, distant and lifeless stare and it felt as if he was staring into a dark pit that had no end to it. He didn't say anything, Akira slowly turning his back to him as he began to walk away; Barnaby tried to reach a shaking hand out, but he found he barely had any control over his body, finding it a little hard to breathe as his vision began to fade. He tried to speak, to scream at the retreating back leaving his line of sight, but his mouth wouldn't work properly; all too soon his hand stilled as the edges around the world blackened, before everything finally just faded into nothing.

**-Chapter Thirteen/End-**


	14. Chapter 14

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Some romance floating around here somewhere...  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

There was an insistent, steady beeping noise as he slowly regained his awareness, closed eyes twitching before slowly opening to the stark white plains that greeted him. He tried to sit up but found that his body wouldn't listen to him, the best he could do was twitch or groan every time he tried. He couldn't even bend his fingers even the slightest bit.

"Easy there, Handsome – best not to do anything strenuous for a while," a gentle voice soothed. He was able to shift his eyes, seeing a blurred image of a person sitting next to him; he didn't need his glasses to know who it was. There was only one man he knew who called him "Handsome" and wore that ungodly amount of pink on a daily basis. Barnaby tried to speak, but his words came out in a mess of slurs and muddled tones; Nathan shushed him softly.

"Don't talk, dear; the doctors said you were hit with some kind of paralysis – a strong one too. You only just started breathing on your own ten minutes ago," he explained. There was a whole storm of questions Barnaby wanted to ask, but he couldn't get his mouth to form the words properly; Nathan shushed him again, and began explaining what had happened after he took off. The four crooks they had captured were dead – shot in the heart and died within a short period of time; the drugs were real though and handed over to the police to be dealt with. Before all that though, everyone had been trying to get in touch with him; and when he didn't answer, they all fanned out and started searching. Sky High had been the one to find him, firstly clearing away the ominous gas with his winds before checking up on Barnaby.

"He told us you weren't breathing, so he went ahead of us and got you to the hospital," Nathan continued to explain. "You're lucky your heart or any other organs weren't affected by the gas, or you wouldn't have survived." There was a heavy silence between them save for the monitors tracking his heart rate. Nathan seemed to be contemplating something for a moment, before he slowly rose from his seat; Barnaby made an incoherent noise, feeling a gentle finger press lightly against his lips. Normally he would be aghast to this, but for some reason he didn't feel repulsed at all; the hand brushing his hair aside was warm.

"When you're able to talk again, we'll talk – but for now get some proper rest, honey," Nathan soothed, his voice was tender having a hint of that mothering, worrying tone. Barnaby only watched him leave, seeing the fuzzy image of the man waving over his shoulder before he left the room; most likely he was going to inform the others that he had woken up at least. Mint green eyes shifted back to the stark bare ceiling above, the memory replaying in his head again, seeing Akira's friendliness, that kind and gentle-hearted image being replaced with a stone, lifeless being. Tears began to prick the corner of his eyes, quietly rolling down his cheeks at the memory – the pain rising in his chest and the burning need to know why. He fell asleep with tears dried up against his skin, closing his eyes against this new side he discovered to Akira, trying to push it from his mind as he prayed for a dreamless sleep.

**-8-**

The sky had turned a fiery orange as the sun slowly set in the distance, disappearing behind the intruding sky scrapers dominating the air. The soft honking of traffic moved below him, reminding him of the daily life that revolved on regardless of what they did, or where they've been; he torn his eyes away from the window upon hearing footsteps, a hand reaching for the handgun resting on the floor by his side. He knew who it was most likely to be, but there was one thing William learned in this business and that was to _always_ prepare every possibility. Akira sauntered into the room, his presence almost cold enough it sent a chilling shiver down Will's spine.

"You're late…" he simply pointed out. Akira didn't say anything as he pulled the case off his shoulder, setting it down on the floor without so much as a noise. Dark raised eyes only watched him as he crossed the room, settling into the corner where he had set down a box and a blanket earlier. They would be camping here overnight.

"…you didn't kill him, did you?" William asked. Again, Akira didn't say anything. Gloved hands clenched into fists, William standing up to his feet as he turned to glare at the man sitting in the corner.

"What the _hell_ are you thinking? Maybe this might come as a shock to you, but I _am_ your partner, you know!" he snapped. "I know this is _your_ mission, but we're a team! I at least have the right to know what you're planning!" Akira's hands stopped for a moment, and for second Will thought he'd be getting some answers; nothing but silence filled the air between them. The raven head sighed, before sinking back down to the floor, leaning back against the wall. Other than knowing Akira was the one who tipped off the Heroes about the drug dealers, and rigged the meeting place with explosives, he didn't understand _why_ he did it. There was no mission to kill those crooks, least not that Will was aware of, and he wasn't sure what the purpose of killing them in front of the Heroes would serve. Was Akira _trying_ to get caught? Granted all the guns were silenced, making it harder to track where the shot had come from if you weren't paying attention, but shooting four in a row would definitely blow your cover.

"I knew he'd figure out where the shots came from – even if it was only a vague guess," the empty voice startled him. William glanced over to where Akira was sitting, seeing his hands moving and inspecting a handheld gun. He leaned away from the wall, giving the auburn haired man a puzzling look.

"Why would you lead him like that? And from the looks of the equipment you took with you – you had the perfect opportunity to kill him…" The air between them was heavy. Skilled hands held the gun up to eye level, aiming it at the wall as amber-brown eyes surveyed it. William only stared at him for a second, trying to piece the puzzles together, before his eyes went wide in realisation.

"You… you wanted him to see your face…!" The other went abnormally still, not moving for several minutes before lowering the gun down. William shifted his position to sit on his knees, slamming his hands down on the worn-out wooden floor. "Are you _fuckin' crazy_? Why did you go and do a shit thing like that? You think he's going to keep quiet now that he knows! Even if you kill him, other people will _know_ who you are! Why didn't you fucking remain anonymous?"

Akira finally looked at him, peering over his shoulder with a cloudy, unreadable stare; William was panting slightly from his raving, glaring at the man sitting on the other side of the room, too furious to really shrink back from the inhuman stare. Akira's eyes narrowed a bit, before he looked away, the sounds of a gun clicking echoing murderously in the air.

"…I have to see it…" he began softly. Sharp black eyes only blinked at him, continuing on in that empty, soulless tone. "When I kill him, I have to see his face – the face of betrayal and hatred."

"Y-you're not using a rifle…" William's voice suddenly shook, a tumbling sick feeling settling in his gut. "You're… you're going to kill him face to face…" The other abruptly stood up, pocketing the gun away as he pulled on a casual winter coat, and headed towards the door. William was on his feet in a flash, staring at the other with a fearful look.

"Don't do it like that! Use the rifle, Akira! Don't kill him like that!"

"I still have a few things I need to set up – don't follow, you'll only get in the way."

"AKIRA!" William near shouted out. The other ignored him as he disappeared through the doorway, his footsteps fading down the empty corridor to wherever it was he needed to be. The shaggy-haired man only stood where he was, feeling his whole body shaking to the bones; he stumbled back to lean against the wall, feeling himself slide down to the floor as his legs turned to jelly. He couldn't stop Akira, even if he wanted to – that man never let _anything_ interfere with a mission, and Will was no exception. A hand reached to tangle in knotted, black hair, unable to tame the wild thoughts of how this would change Akira in the worst ways possible. William knew why he had been assigned as the man's partner – he had been fresh blood, someone who was considered the prime of the prime, and the ace of the whole organization, and Will was to keep an eye on him.

He had to bite back his tongue at the contempt swelling in his chest; Will was aware that Akira had a slightly different training due to his amnesia, and he used to think that this double-personality thing was just a quirk of the man's. However, the fact that Akira was willing to throw away _all_ human emotions, and was even at the point of being afraid of them, made him suspect that something else happened during that "training". William grounded his teeth, banging a fist against the wall behind him as he cursed into the empty room.

"Shit… what the hell did that bastard do to you…"

**-8-**

There was an odd, almost welcomed silence between them as they simply let past events boil down, each gathering their own thoughts about the situation. Antonio and Nathan sat by the hospital bed, waiting for Barnaby to wrap up his thoughts concerning what happened the other day. He told them about Akira, how he found the man and believed him responsible for killing those criminals, and how the man knocked him out. He was grateful that his two seniors didn't say anything, despite that they _had_ tried to talk to him about it. They really couldn't – knowing how much Akira had meant to the blond, only to be betrayed in the worst possible way. The only positive outlook they could get from this was that at least Barnaby was willing to listen to them now.

"…what do you know about – about Akira?" Barnaby asked after drawing in a deep breath.

"That's the hard part – we don't," Antonio replied, staring off to a corner of the room.

"But that's…"

"I've hacked through every database I could think of, Handsome – Akira Hurst has not shown up in _anything_ I've looked through," Nathan interjected. "He doesn't exist – not according to official records." Forest green eyes finally looked up at them, both flinching at the look of confusion and hurt on the younger's face. Barnaby quickly looked away, hands gripping the bed sheets.

"That would make sense… you can't trace an assassin who has no identity…" he began. "But – how did he get his job as a teacher then if he had no credentials to back him up?"

"I checked into that – I had a little chat with the principle of that school; apparently it was a favor for an old friend who's associated with Akira, but he wasn't employed as a "full-time" teacher. He was only considered a part-timer, but doing full hours," Nathan explained. "However, it seems that "_Akira_" handed in his resignation slip a couple days ago; where he's gone from there, who knows." Barnaby only hummed in response, and aside from the noises outside the room went back to silence. There were no more words between them before he asked the two men to leave him alone for a while. Antonio seemed to want to keep talking about the matter, but Nathan lightly tapped him on the shoulder, shaking his head. Antonio sighed, but let the subject dropped, standing up to his feet and headed out the door; Nathan lingered a moment before he stood up, rose-coloured eyes gazing at the blond with a troubled look.

"For what it's worth – we were only going to tell you that Akira didn't have any official records; we didn't really have any evidence he was tied in with the assassin cases," he began softly. "We just wanted to let you know, in case…" The words trailed off; Barnaby didn't look at him. Nathan sighed, before suggesting the other rest a little longer, bidding goodbye as he walked out of the room. The click of the door went unheard as Barnaby simply sat up in the bed, eyes staring at a blank spot in front of him.

There was bright sunlight shining through the closed window from the other side of the room; it was the only sigh that promised to bring warmer weather as spring crept closer and closer. They had talked about the spring, how Akira mentioned that he liked taking long walks just shortly after all the snow had melted. It was not quite warm, but not quite freezing either, perfect weather to enjoy nature at its changing stages. A short, forced laugh escaped Barnaby at the thought – it seemed like such a trivial thing for an assassin to enjoy; to act so normal and _human_, it was no wonder he never even suspected once that the man could be hiding something. The short laugh became longer, sounding unnatural even to his own ears.

He tossed his head back against the wall, feeling a stinging prick of tears at the corner of his eyes as he just continued to laugh. How many times did this make it now? How many times had he been strung along and lied to, and even worse – practically clinging to every word of it? The laughter finally faded into choked breaths, trying to level his breathing as he tried to stall the tears. He heaved out a deep sigh, slowly wiping away the lingering wetness in his eyes; there was only one person in the world he could truly believe in – and that one person, of course, wouldn't be by his side when he needed him the most. Barnaby glanced towards the window, watching the sun flicker in and out from the passing clouds.

"…I really wish you here right now… Kotetsu…"

**-Chapter Fourteen/End-**


	15. Chapter 15

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Definite romance in this chapter  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

The words past over her head in a medley of noise and silence, eyes looking to the front without really seeing the professor at the front of the classroom, jotting notes across the blackboard as he lectured on. The pen tapped idly at the corner of her notebook, her mind wandering away from her back to that encounter with that elementary teacher. She glanced down at the lined paper flat open on her desk; his arms had been familiarly warm and comforting – even almost embarrassing to a fault. She had betted everything that he was really her father, and the disappointment and pain that followed it only proved to make the ache in her chest stronger.

"Kaburagi?"

He wasn't a NEXT – but, even if he had turned out to be her father, wouldn't she still be able to get his hundred power?

"Ms. Kaburagi!"

After all, it was some sort of genetic mutation that caused these unusual powers – isn't that what she was copying when she used her abilities. She had to touch them after all, so even if her father had completely lost all his powers, it was still in the genes, right?

"Wild Tiger…" Kaede jerked her head up with a startled noise. The professor was staring at her with a weary glance, letting out a sigh. "So nice of you to finally join us, Ms. Kaburagi – now if you could be so kind as to answer the third question on page fifty-two of your text, please."

Kaede bowed her head, looking through her book laid out on her desk locating the question requested; she stared it, hesitating a moment before shyly shaking her head. She knew the answer, but she really didn't feel like explaining it right now – not with a hundred other questions flooding her head. A few students laughed and chuckled, but the professor quieted them in an instant by calling on someone else to take up the problem. The class continued on without her, the room once again dropping out of her mental vision as her thoughts wandered back to that man. Akira Hurst – it could be possible he was just a case of a "doppelganger"; someone who just happened to very – _very_ – closely resemble her father. There were always these kinds of cases of people claiming to find their unrelated "twin", but there was always something different – they could look similar, but not damn near identical. She sighed heavily to herself, tapping the pen at the corner of her notebook.

The class period soon ended, everyone getting up out of their seats and headed to the door, some going off to their next lessons, some having free time to laze about, some going to training. Kaede didn't get up from her seat right away, waiting a few minutes to reel her mind back to the present before she began gathering up her things.

"Kaede-chan, are you alright?" Tony asked, coming up to her desk. Kaede only looked up at him, trying to put on a smile for him, but it came out as a sigh.

"I guess… just a lot on my mind, that's all," she shrugged, giving up on the smile. The curly haired boy only gave her a worried glance, but didn't say anything as he waited for her to pack her stuff away. The two walked out of the classroom together, down the halls to his next class; Kaede had a free period, so she stood around the door while they waited for Tony's lesson to start.

"Um – want to talk about it?" the smaller boy finally asked. The dark-haired girl only shook her head, brushing her bangs behind her ear.

"It's fine, just – trying to figure something out."

"Well, maybe I could help," Tony offered. "Two heads are better than one, right?" She finally smiled at him, nodding her head at the response. She started to explain – not everything, but enough that he'd understand her point and why she was thoroughly confused and a little bit upset with this new revelation that the man she met wasn't who she thought he'd be. Tony didn't say anything aside from the typical responses and hums, letting her finish at her own pace; he leaned back against the doorframe of the classroom, letting the information roll in his head a little.

"Well, if he can't use his powers anymore, how can you be sure he really _is_ Wild Tiger? The time limit went down to 1-minute within a year, didn't it?" he pointed out. "What if he doesn't have _any_ power left after four years?"

"But – it's still in the genes, isn't it? I mean, that's what they say causes these powers to exist," Kaede argued back. "There has to be _some_thing there for me to copy? What else would I need to copy someone's powers?" Both only regarded each other in a confused and frustrated silence; since there was really no solid evidence on _how_ genetics played into a NEXT's abilities or how it was even triggered in the first place, they could throw around theories all day and still not find an answer. Tony scratched the back of his neck, eyes staring off to some distance corner.

"Maybe you should ask Professor Cary on this – isn't he trying to research into the declining powers of a NEXT?" he suggested. The question rolled in her head for a moment, before it really sunk in. Kaede perked up when she realised he was right, quickly turning around to run off and find the professor, thanking Tony over her shoulder as she left. He only wished her luck before heading into his classroom to wait for his next lesson. Kaede paced down the hallways, stopping students and instructors alike if they had seen Professor Cary – he shouldn't be teaching a class right now, so hopefully she have time to talk to him about this. She was really hoping he'd be knowledgeable enough on this subject that she'd finally get some answers – even if vague – to the questions haunting her mind.

**-8-**

He pulled his bike up to the curb, cutting the engine as he balanced it carefully before knocking the kick stand down to hold it up; he pulled the helmet from his head, brushing a hand through his hair out of habit to straighten out his curls. Mint green eyes stared up at the townhouse towering ominously over him, feeling a tightness in his chest at the sudden emotions. So many pleasant new memories had been made here, from their first meeting to the kiss they shared on the landing in front of the closed red door. Barnaby gritted his teeth, pushing the thoughts aside as he dismounted his bike, holding on to the handles to make sure it would balance right before letting it go.

He trekked up the stone steps leading to the door, raising a hand to knock; he knew it was very unlikely that Akira – or William – would be there to answer it. Even without the evidence, there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that the raven head was in the same assassin business. They had lived together for almost two years, there was no way William could _not_ have noticed any strange behaviors or late night excursions that Akira wouldn't be able to explain or lie about. There was no answer, but Barnaby wasn't surprised, reaching for the handle out of reflex – the door clicked open. Unlocked; he was suspicious, but it didn't stop him from entering all the same, eyes alert as he cautiously stepped through the threshold.

Empty – not a noise could be heard aside from his own booted footsteps crossing the wooden floor. The shelves surrounding the TV still housed the various little decos, books and some disc covers that Barnaby had become so familiar with each time he visited. He continued on towards the stairs, second door to the right – the door he always went to if William had company over, the many nights they spent staying up late and talking. He put a hand on the knob, hesitating a moment before slowly easing it open, peeking around the door to glance into the empty room. The book shelves were clean of the books they once boasted, but other than that – nothing else was out of place.

An overwhelming feeling flooded his chest, Barnaby trying to force back the tears as he stepped in further into the room. His hand brushed against the plush material of the armchair – always his spot. Akira would sit on the bed, and Barnaby was always in the chair – they would talk until they ran out of subject matter, and even then it didn't stop them from continuing on talking. All the warmth, all the comfort he had thought he'd lost the day he lost his partner – it had all been in here, in this house, with Akira's presence by his side and now it was all taken away from him again. Did God really feel that determined to take away every little thing that made him truly happy?

A small, single tear managed to drop, a hand quickly wiping it away as he willed the rest not to fall. He needed to leave. Barnaby quickly turned around and headed back down the stairs, trying not to look back once as he crossed the open living space and back out the door. He nearly slammed it behind him, staring down at the stone, cold porch with a harsh glare. He had hoped to find some clue as to where to find Akira – although perhaps part of him was hoping to find the man himself. Nathan and Antonio had been trying to dig up as much as they could about Akira's associates, but other than finding a basic profile on William Zimmerman, who was labeled as "missing" – they had no other leads. Barnaby hadn't been able to leave the hospital for almost three days after his scuffle with Akira, the doctors wanting to be sure there were no side effects from the gas. He kept insisting he was fine and perfectly capable of walking again, but the other Heroes jumped at him, agreeing with the doctors so he was forced to compile with the orders. He didn't like it – he had been antsy the whole time; all the time he spent in the hospital, was time Akira could use to cover his tracks, or get as far away from him as possible.

Barnaby glanced back up at the complex one last time before he turned away from it for good; he doubt they'd came back here again, not when a Hero knew this place. He walked down the steps with a heavy weight in each foot, walking over to his bike to head back home for the day. It was at Ben's insistence he'd rest for the day, and Lloyds of all people, agreed to it, meaning a call could go off right now and Barnaby would be the last to know about it. The blond sighed as he reached out for his helmet, freezing as he noticed a white piece of paper placed under it on the seat of his bike. He glanced up, down and around the area, seeing nothing on the streets and not sensing anything on the roofs. Throwing caution into the wind, he reached a hesitant hand for it, eyes going wide briefly before narrowing at the neatly cursive writing scrawled out on the paper.

_Barnaby Brooks Jr._

There was only one person who came to mind who could've left this note; Barnaby stood there for the longest while before unfolding the piece of paper, still keeping his guard up in case Akira was still nearby. A time and place was written, but nothing more. He crumpled the paper in his fingers, shoving it roughly into his pocket before picking up his helmet and placed it on his head. He mounted the motorcycle, kicking up the stand before reeving the engine to life, kicking off the curb as he left behind the row of townhouses. He debated with telling the others about this, but if they tagged along, he might not have the chance to properly talk with the man.

His fingers curled tighter around the handles as he weaved in and out of traffic to head for home and plan his next move. He knew this was trap, and he was going to go willingly into it so he'd have to think ahead, try to get one up on the older man if he was going to get any answers. He turned off at the exit to head up towards Silver Stage, zooming past onwards towards Gold; he was going to get Akira to talk, even if he had to beat the man over the head to do so.

**-8-**

The early evening sun was slowly setting in the distance, hidden by the towering landscape of the city; the sky faded into an orangey, fiery mist as the day came to a close. An ashen blond laid out on her bed on her stomach, a magazine spread out in front of her and a pair of earphones plugged into her ears, the volume cranked up loud enough to drown the outside world to the upbeat, rocking tune playing from the mp3 player by her pillow. She had been so engrossed in her music and the article that she practically shrieked, nearly falling off the bed at the hand suddenly grabbing her shoulder. A hand reached to yank the earplug from her ear, turning to glare up at the straight haired girl running back out the door of their dorm room.

"KAEDE KABURAGI!" the blond screeched out. Kaede paused at the doorway, throwing an apologetic glance over her shoulder.

"Sorry, but I _did_ call you several times! I need to borrow your powers!" the girl rushed. The ash-blond didn't have time to question why or even remind her that her powers didn't work the last time she tried to find her father. Kaede had already disappeared through the door. The blond only sighed, putting the earplug back into her ear, turning back to her magazine; the other girl would figure it out again eventually.

Kaede snuck around the instructors making one last sweep through the halls, easily getting to the academy gates before they were closed for curfew hours. She quickly ran far from the grounds, avoiding bumps and nudges from the evening crowds before she stopped off in a secluded passage. She closed her eyes, concentrating her focus as she activated her roommate's, Madison's, powers. Madison's ability was an in-depth perception scope – like a radar tracker, only a little more precise, but at the price of being much more fickle. Kaede had used it once before when she entered the academy to find her father, but he hadn't shown up on the virtual mind-map that was appearing in her head now. Madison had explained that even a small physical change, like losing a finger or even the target cutting their hair could throw the tracker off.

However that didn't matter right now – Kaede was looking for Barnaby. After her talk with Professor Cary, every doubt she had about Akira Hurst vanished; this time – this time she was absolutely sure about her theory. She tried to call Barnaby earlier but he wasn't answering his phone, going directly to his voicemail each time. She called Antonio, but the other Hero hadn't seen the blond all day and when he tried contacting the other through his call band, Barnaby didn't answer it either. When asked why she was insistent to talk to him, Kaede swept the question to the side, Antonio giving her a stern warning not to do anything rash and to not leave the academy after curfew.

A white silhouette appeared on the wired grid map of the city in her head, marking the location of where the man was currently at and committing it to memory. Kaede opened her eyes before she ran out of the passage and headed in that direction. Barnaby was down near the dock warehouses in Bronze; why he was down there she didn't entertain the thought for now. She had to find him, since he was the only one who had close contact with the grade-school teacher; she had to talk to him properly this time, and this time – she prayed with all her heart that she would not be mistaken. After all – third time is the charm.

**-8-**

The sun had sunk low beneath the horizon, leaving him with the dim street lights to guide his way as he cut the engine. Barnaby looked up to the sky to where the last rays of sunlight were seen before the raven black sky dominated the vast plain above. He looked back to the row of warehouses, weather-beaten and looking worn down from lack of proper maintenance, but no less useful for storage – or for setting up a trap. He climbed off his bike, setting the helmet down on the seat as he glared down the open space, lit only by the overhead lights hanging above each entrance. There were too many places an assassin could hide, and Barnaby wasn't sure what kind of "trap" the other had possibly set up for him. He lingered for a moment longer, cautiously taking a step into the shadowed threshold, looking back, front, up and around him for any signs of movement lurking in the shadows.

He hadn't really planned that far ahead beyond arriving here at the designated time and looking for Akira. Akira may have the advantage of surprise, but Barnaby had his power – as long as he was careful when to use it, he'd have it as a backup in case Akira tried to really kill him this time. It was eerily quiet as he continued on walking, not even a creak from the buildings as he weaved in and out around corners. He was half tempted to scream out, if only to get a reaction from the other man and partly to express the mounting frustration and impatience piling up in his chest. Barnaby jumped back in surprise as a small kick of dirt flared up in front of his feet, only just barely seeing the bullet bounce off the ground. He turned his eyes to the estimated direction the shot came from, turning around to head in that direction before he felt another bullet just barely graze the surface of his shoulder, skimming across the threads of his jacket from behind.

He made a startled noise at the change of direction of the attack, just only dodging a shot flying past his face. Seeing as no matter which direction he ran, he went straight forward, trying to get away from the building structures as much as possible while avoiding the cross fire of shots coming at him in short, timed intervals. He flinched as a bullet skimmed him across the arm, resisting the temptation to activate his powers for protection. Akira was purposely pushing him to use his powers, trying to tip the situation to his favour. Barnaby gritted his teeth, holding his arms over his head as he pushed on; without knowing how the other was firing off multiple shots in a short amount of time, or even how many rounds there were, there was a good chance he'd get shot before he found the man. He heard a clinking, clattering noise hit the ground, forest green eyes honing in on the small round object rolling its way towards him. He only just barely cleared the range, tumbling away from the smoke of the explosion before he heard another rolling towards him.

The gunshots had at least stopped for now, but with the thick smoke rising from the ground and spreading out, his field of vision was narrowed even more against the black of the night. Something pierced through the puff of smoke, mint green eyes going wide in shock at the grenade flying straight at him. Barnaby let out a yelp as he was pushed back from the force of the explosion, landing on his feet with practised ease as he winced at the dull ache in his body. He cursed at the blue glow surrounding his frame, but if he hadn't used his powers that explosion would've definitely left some nasty burns if it didn't kill him first. Akira now had exactly what he wanted – Barnaby was using his powers and in five minutes, he'd be defenseless for an hour; plenty of time for the assassin to strike at his leisure.

A snarled scream echoed into the empty sky as Barnaby charged through the area, searching every nook, every hole large enough to hide a full grown man. There were no more sneak attacks against him, but somewhere in the back of his mind he figured that the other knew it was pointless to waste ammunition against someone who could make themselves a hundred times faster, stronger and any other physical qualities. Akira couldn't hide forever – there were only so many places a person could hide and hide well with such an elaborate set up, and Barnaby wasn't one to give up easily, no matter how infuriating the task was. He lost track of time in his search, not at all surprised when the blue glow faded and he still hadn't found Akira. He glared down at his own hands before looking around the area about him.

"There – happy now! I did exactly what you wanted – I can't use my powers now!" Barnaby shouted out to nowhere in particular, but he was certain the man could hear him. A movement from the right caught his eye, turning a sharp glare to the figure stepping out from the shadows and into the light provided from the warehouses.

"You held out longer than I was expecting," Akira drawled. "But then again – I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Mr. Hero." Barnaby clenched his jaw, hands curling into fists as he stood face to face with the auburn-haired man. Before he had a chance to move in closer, Akira held up his arm, pointing the small handheld gun at the blond; Barnaby froze on the spot. The corners of Akira's mouth twitched into a vague smirk, but his overall expression remained cold – empty and lifeless as he regarded the Hero in front of him.

"That's a nice face you're showing," he noted, clicking the safety off the gun. Barnaby could feel his nails digging into his palms.

"…why are you doing this?" he asked softly.

"Well for one, I was ordered to – you can't tell me an assassin and a Hero getting too close to each other is a good idea," Akira shrugged, still holding the blond in a figurative grasp. Barnaby gave him a scathing glare, biting down on his lip to remind himself not to do anything too rash while the other had a gun trained on him.

"I won't say it's a good idea – it's a horrible idea, in fact, but… did you – really need to do this?" Barnaby questioned. All the questions he had before, all the pain of wanting to know why, was suddenly gone from him, blank now that he was finally faced with the other. "Was everything…just some twisted game to get my trust so you could kill me?"

"Don't read too much into it," Akira snapped. "You really think I wouldn't know who you are the first day we met? It was a pretty convenient setup – saving a Hero who collapsed in the park, don't you think?"

"So why get close to me? If you knew who I was, then why didn't you just push me away? Shut me out when we started – started to be…" he trailed off. What could he say – friends? Close friends? Lovers? The feelings from that night were resurfacing again, the warmth of the other's lips, the heat from his body in the cold winter night. Barnaby could feel the sting of tears in his eyes, shaking his head furious to stop them. Akira was silent before a dangerous smirk played across his angular face.

"Yeah, that's right – it had all been a game," he started. "I never really had the need for relations – it's a hazard in my line of work, so I thought I'd have some fun. See what I could do to you, lure you in and test your trust." Barnaby looked away from him, a burning fire searing his chest as those words punctured right through him. A sudden thought dawned on him, before he slowly raised his gaze to match honey-amber eyes staring at him meticulously.

"You're lying," he stated softly, but boldly. The dark-haired man only blinked at him, but didn't lax his stance as the smirk turned down into a frown.

"And what makes you think that? I've had you chasing me since the start, so you can't say this hadn't been a game."

"_If_ – you really had been playing a game, you wouldn't have made the first move," Barnaby pointed out. The frown deepened, thick brows knitting tighter together in displeasure. The blond continued on. "That night – when you kissed me – that was no game, Akira; if you really had _me_ chasing after _you_, you would've made me make the first move. Besides that night…" Barnaby subconsciously lifted his fingers to his mouth, still remembering the phantom touch of the warm lips against his, the flush colouring tanned cheeks, the look of uncertainty and fear in honey-brown eyes. No matter how good of an actor Akira can claim to be, there was no denying what the blond had seen in his eyes. There was a long silence from both parties before it was interrupted by a click; mint green eyes glanced up to see a smirk once again on the sunny complexion, but there was something different about it.

"Shall I shoot you in the heart first? Take away the pain from there first before I aim for your head?" he asked. Barnaby didn't say anything, eyes turning to the ground; any ambition, any sort of motivation to dodge and escape gone. Akira didn't say anything, the smirk widening a little as he eased his finger slowly around the trigger.

"NO! DAD STOP!" A voice from behind him made Akira turn around, looking to the young teen girl standing a few feet away from them. Barnaby quickly got over his shock at seeing Kaede standing there, still dressed in her academy tracksuit, charging at the older man. Akira snapped his attention back to the blond, firing his gun off in a split second after getting his aim. Barnaby staggered, letting out a pained yelp as he fell to the ground, clutching at his leg; it might have not been so bad if it weren't for the fact that the bullet hit the same spot where H-01 had stabbed him five years ago, during the terrifying battle against the android.

"Patience Hero – you'll get your turn," the short-haired man promised. Forest green eyes only glared at him through the pain, gasping miserably at the numbing pins and needles pain shooting through his whole leg. Akira turned to the brown haired girl staring at him with wide, but resolute eyes, slowly lifting his gun to aim at her. Kaede flinched a little in fear, but she didn't move, giving him a determined gaze.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you should've just stayed at home like a good little girl."

"Please – don't do this, dad; someday you'll remember everything and you'll never forgive yourself," Kaede spoke out desperately. Akira only cocked his head at her, giving her an odd grin.

"I don't think you even know who I am – I'm not your father," he replied. "And my job doesn't require forgiveness, let alone pity or mercy."

"I know perfectly well _who_ you are! You're my dad! I know you are!" she kept insisting. Barnaby tried to pull himself forward, but the pain still escalating through his leg made it difficult to move easily. Akira only gave a curt laugh, as he clicked his gun for another shot.

"I don't have a daughter – let alone ever been married."

"Yes, you do! Yes you were! You were married to a woman named Tomoe! And you had a daughter with her, Kaede! Kaburagi, Kaede! Please try to remember!"

"ENOUGH!" his harsh voice cut through the tense air between them, silencing her almost in an instant. Akira took in a deep breath to regain his composure before he glance at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Here now – I'm going to shoot you in the head, miss; stop that nonsense babbling of yours." Kaede only looked at him with strange calm, warming gaze, not at all afraid of the gunpoint aimed for her head.

"You can't shoot me…" she stated gently. He blinked at her. "You won't."

"Don't underestimate me – I've killed kids even younger than you," he near growled. She didn't say anything, not even showing a hint of fear as she closed her chocolate brown eyes. Akira frowned at the attitude, letting out a huff as his finger pulled tighter around the trigger. "Fine – have it your way."

"KAEDE!"

The gunshot resonated loudly into the night sky.

**-Chapter Fifteen/End-**


	16. Chapter 16

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Romance lingering somewhere...  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

_She had searched through the halls for a good ten minutes before someone was able to tell her where Professor Cary was. Kaede found him, the man standing in an empty classroom, leaning back against the desk as he stared at the notes scribbled across the blackboard. He had a habit of doodling theories and hypotheses in his spare time when he wasn't teaching. Kaede cleared her throat to get his attention, pale blue-grey eyes glancing in her direction; a smile lit up his aging face instantly._

_"Ah, Kaede – what can I do for you?" he asked, adjusting the glasses sitting on his squat nose. Kaede hesitated a moment, before she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her._

_"Professor, you're – researching about declining powers, right?" she questioned timidly, staring at the floor. The gray-haired man seemed genuinely surprised before a cheery smile came to his face; he gestured towards the chairs, Kaede taking a seat as he walked around the desk._

_"Yes, I am attempting so – it's very difficult since it is such a rare occurrence," he explained. "The only prominent case known to the public is Wild Tiger's; most folks tend to fall under the radar when their powers start to decline." He mused, a wistful look on his face as he stared up at the ceiling. There was a moment pause between them before he brushed it aside, turning to the girl with a wide smile._

_"So, what is it you want to know? I can't promise I'll have an answer though," he asked. Kaede kept staring at the floor, trying to word her thoughts into coherent questions, but she wasn't entirely sure where to begin._

_"Professor – if, let's just say a NEXT completely lost their powers, do you think – I'd still be able to copy them?" she finally spoke. Cary looked at her with a quizzical face, perking up at this intriguing question._

_"That's hard to say really – but in theory, I would have to say no. It would be quite impossible for you to copy a power that is no longer there," he answered. Chocolate brown eyes glanced up at him with a pained, but almost fiery light._

_"But – isn't it all genetics? Even if they no longer have their powers, it's still there in the genes right?"_

_"Well, one _could_ argue that, but I think it's more complicated than that," he began, rubbing his hand under his chin. "If a NEXT's abilities is caused by a genetic mutation, then in theory the decline of those abilities is due the defect either somehow correcting itself, or simply degrading to a point that information is disrupted, but is not a danger to the host."_

_"But – it doesn't really explain why I wouldn't be able to copy their powers," she pointed out. The elder man leaned back against the desk, truly fascinated by this question and the debate he was having with his student. He always had a fondness for Kaede – not just because she was Wild Tiger's daughter, but because her powers of copying intrigued him. He let out a hum as his gaze wandered away from her again._

_"Rare as declines are, copying powers are even rarer – especially one like yours; but regardless, all copy-types need information," he explained. The teen only blinked at him._

_"Information?"_

_"Right – take Origami Cyclone for example; if you try to describe a person he's never seen or touch before in explicit detail, the chances of him being able to create a perfect copy are slim, since everyone perceives traits differently. Your powers work in the same way – you need _all_ the information in order to copy them, hence why touch is a very important factor for your abilities." The girl only gave him a weird look, clearly not fully understanding what he was trying to explain. He only laughed though, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to think of a better way to explain it to her._

_"Think of it as a hard drive – information stored on it can be easily accessed and copied if needed. However, if the drive crashes or malfunctions, the possibility to retrieve every piece of information on it is near impossible. You may be able to recover _some_ of the data, but the bulk of it is lost forever._

_"A NEXT whose powers have completely faded has lost the information you need to create a perfect copy, thus you wouldn't be able to recreate their ability and use it as your own," he explained. Thin brown brows furrowed in thought as the explanation set in; she suppose it made sense when he put it that way. She heard him laugh again, blinking up at the greying man with a puzzled look. He had a warm gentle smile on his face, straightening up his posture as he leaned away from the desk._

_"Kaede – you remember what 'NEXT' stands for right?"_

_"Yes – **N**ormal **E**ntities with e**X**traordinary **T**alents," she answered. The professor only nodded and started to gather up the papers and notes he had spread out across the desk._

_"That's correct – so a person who has lost their powers, well… that would only make them a normal entity with_out_ extraordinary talents, right? So in other words – they're just a normal human being, with no powers for you to copy."_

**-8-**

Smoke waft from the barrel of the gun, the faint echo of the shot faded into the night sky as a heavy silence fell between them. The air was eerily stilled, each taking a moment to grasp at what had just happened. Barnaby had stopped struggling to move, his breath caught for a few minutes as he tried to understand if what happened had really happened. Chocolate brown eyes slowly opened, gazing at the man standing face to face with her. A strange, almost jovial smile broke out on Kaede's face as tears threatened to push their way through. The shot had missed her by a good three feet; something had disrupted Akira's aim – no, he _purposely_ threw the aim off. Wide, shocked honey-brown eyes glanced at his hand – it was shaking; he _never_ shook while holding a gun. Even on his very first mission – he had hesitated with the shot, but his hands had never wavered while holding the rifle.

"…why…" he choked out in a strained voice. An unfamiliar fear began rising his chest, an emotion he never felt before filling his head. Kaede reached for the silver ring hanging around her neck, fingers curling tightly around the jewelry piece as she smiled tenderly at him.

"I knew you wouldn't do it," her voice was soft, just barely containing the joy she was feeling. Akira started, holding the gun with both hands in hopes it would help steady his grip, but it only proved to make the shaking even more violent. Even if he did manage to shoot her now, he had no guarantee he'd hit the intended target point on her body. He gritted his teeth, an overwhelming fear thumping hard against his chest – or was that his heart beating wildly against his ribcage. He tried to pull the trigger, but his body refused to listen, his instinct warring over his rationality on why he shouldn't fire this gun right now at this girl.

"…why…why can't I shoot you…" his voice cracked. Kaede kept quiet, the smile still on her face as she took a step towards him; his breath hitched, feeling himself back up on reflex which surprised him. "Wha-what the _hell_ did you do to me!"

"I didn't have to do anything," Kaede assured. "You may not remember, but you _know_ who I am." She took another step towards him and he stepped back again, feeling his whole body tremble, his face scrunched up with extreme emotion as he tried to pull the trigger again.

"I'm not…you're not my daughter! I don't – I don't have one…I don't…I…"

"Please, try to remember – you know who you are, even if you aren't aware of it yet," Kaede pleaded, holding her hands to her chest. "Please…papa…" The tears welded up in her eyes, a single streak sliding down her cheek as she couldn't hold them back any longer. His eyes glared at her in fright and confusion before his face softened, brows rising in faint recognition as a tender warm glow came to honey-amber eyes. His hands stopped shaking, lowering his arms in front of him as he simply stared at the teen standing before him. His grip slacked, the gun slipping carelessly from his fingers as he looked at her with a nostalgic expression.

"…Kae…de…" the word fell from his lips in a hesitate whisper. Kaede felt her heart leap at her name, trying her best not to break down crying right there, seeing a lost almost longing smile appear on his face. She had barely taken three steps forward before his body suddenly jerked, letting out a soundless gasp as he fell forward. It took a minute or two before either one realised that the man had just been shot.

"NO!"

"DAD!" Kaede shrieked, putting her hands over her mouth. Barnaby somehow forced himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his leg as he half-dragged himself over to the other man, practically collapsing to his knees once he got to the fallen body. He turned the other over, holding him up in his arms as the threat of tears filled his bright green eyes. Kaede slid to her knees as she came up to them, trying not to panic as she held her hands to her chest.

"K-Kotetsu? Are you really Kotetsu? Is it really you?" Barnaby asked in a strained voice. Amber-brown eyes winced, before looking up at him with a pained expression, showing a smile through gritted teeth.

"H-hey…long time no see, huh…Bunny…" he answered with a small wink. Barnaby tightened his hold around the man's shoulder, unable to hold back the tears clouding up his vision as a smile somehow managed to find its way on fair features.

"It really…after all this time…" he choked on his tears. There was a soft smile as Kotetsu slowly nodded his head.

"Sorry for leaving you alone for so long…" he apologized. Barnaby only shook his head, using his hand to try and wipe away the tears, not caring that his glasses were getting smudged.

"It doesn't matter now – you're here! You remember everything!" the blond managed. Kotetsu only smiled before his eyes glanced to the side where his daughter was kneeling next to them. Her long dark hair was left untied, falling over her shoulders as she leaned forward on her knees, anxious, scared – her dark brown eyes wide with fearful tears.

"Look at you – you went and grew up without me again," he teased weakly. Kaede only shook her head, muttering something about "idiot father" as she glanced away from him. Kotetsu laughed, reaching a hand out to brush the bangs away from her face. "You look so much like your mother now…I really wish she could see you now," he whispered softly. Kaede didn't say anything, taking his hand with hers as she held it tight. Weary eyes looked between the two with a tired sigh, looking back up into the mint green eyes staring at him with fright.

"Hey – don't give me those faces…I want to see you both smile," Kotetsu requested. Barnaby tried, but he couldn't force the corners of his mouth to turn up, shaking his head as he held on tighter.

"It's going to be fine – you're not going to die," he murmured softly. Kotetsu could feel him shaking, the grip on his hand tightening as well.

"Bunny…"

"We'll get you to the hospital! You'll pull through this – you always…you always do! You can't…" the words trailed off with the tears, not wanting to finish the last few words. A short, tired sigh escaped him, amber-brown eyes slowly falling shut.

"You'll be fine…you've both gotten along this far without me… I'm sure…"

"Don't' say that!" Kaede practically screamed out, cradling his hand as her silent tears turned vocal. Barnaby gave him a sharp jolt, trying to force him to keep his eyes open.

"Please – not like this! You have no idea how long – please, I – _we_ don't want to lose you again!" Barnaby's voice was strained. A faint ghost of a smile lingered, a barely audible laugh drifting from parted lips; Barnaby shook him again. "Kotetsu! Please!"

"…too loud, bunny…" came the soft whisper. The smile faded, his head slowly falling back against the blonde's arm. Kaede hesitantly let his hand go, letting it fall limply to the ground with a light _thud_, an unbearable silence weighing heavily down on them. Barnaby slowly shook his head, eyes wide as his mind still tried to deny what was really happening right now.

"…n-no…Kotetsu…? Kotetsu!" he shook the dark-haired man violently, but he didn't stir. No words were exchanged between them, simply sitting there in the silence of the night, expecting some sort of shock to wake them up from this dream. Kaede let out a soft shriek, burying her face in her hands as she hunched over, shoulders shaking with her hard tears. Barnaby only sat in quiet shock, some small corner of his mind was trying to convince him that it wasn't real. This was just a repeat of what happened against H-01 five years ago; Kotetsu had just simply passed out, he was just merely unconscious and any moment now would jolt awake. He was waiting for placid face to light up, to have the old man give them some lame one-liner, thinking it made him look cool.

Not a single breath stirred in his chest, his face still peaceful and undisturbed as the minutes stretched on. Barnaby closed his eyes, holding his partner close to him as he lowered his head in despair, biting his tongue to keep quiet as the tears fell uninhibited at the pain clawing in his chest.

He withdrew the binoculars from his face, sharp dark eyes gazing out to the scene below with an empty look. He tucked the clunky device into the pouch slung across his hip; a hand reached into his coat pocket to pull out a small, black device, holding a button down as he spoke in to the speaker as a red light blinked on.

"Target acquired – Akira Hurst is dead," his tone was flat. He released the button and the light went off, watching the warehouse grounds from his place on the roof ledge for a few minutes; he pocketed the recorder away, shouldering the rifle on his back before heading towards the open door. He paused at the frame, tilting his head up to look up at the towering levels separating Bronze from Silver. The gaps and openings between each stage allowed some sunlight to shine through during the day, but still gave a staggering reminder about the difference between those who lived luxuriously on Silver and those who "settled for second best" on Bronze. There was a faint twinkle of stars trying to outshine the city lights against the illuminated raven black sky; an odd smile came to his face as he sighed. He looked away from the sky, placing his hands into his pockets as he crossed the threshold of the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Soft whimpers and faint hiccups of tears disrupted the stillness of the night air, mourning the loss of a friend and parent. Kaede had stopped shaking as she managed to calm her tears to some degree, her hair spilling around her cheeks as she clung tightly to the chain around her neck. All the fears she had growing up, all the worries that someday she'd be left alone, that she'd lose her father as well – everything overwhelmed her, a searing ache in her chest that it had all become real. A hand touched her head gently, but she didn't look up – she figured it was just Barnaby trying to bring her some fort of comfort.

"Geeze – where'd you get all these tears from? I don't think your mother was nearly as emotional." Dark brown eyes widened in surprise, jerking her head up to stare into honey-brown eyes gazing at her with a laughing smile. Barnaby snapped up at the voice as well, jaw hanging open slightly as he stared in bewilderment. Kotetsu only smiled up at them, waiting for the initial shock to wear off before he said anymore.

"D-dad… you're – you're alive?" Kaede squeaked.

"No, I'm a ghost come back to haunt –!" he barely had a chance to finish his sentence before he felt himself be lifted up, pale pink lips sealing over his in a surprise kiss. The young teen's startled gasp went unnoticed, Barnaby pulling away the second he realised what he was doing, a deep flush colouring his cheeks.

"I – I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…I don't know why I just…" he stumbled with his words. He pulled back as the other sat himself up; Kotetsu only shook his head, a pleasantly surprised smile on his face.

"No, it's fine – that was…pretty nice, actually," he answered back somewhat embarrassingly.

"W-wait! How are you fine? We saw you get shot!" Kaede suddenly pointed out, remembering what had happened just minutes ago. Barnaby had to blink a few times to get rid of the haze his mind was still in from the impulsive kiss, panicking as he realised the girl was right.

"Your injury then!"

"Calm down you two and let me explain," Kotetsu sighed, holding his hands up to both of them. Barnaby bit his lip, Kaede fidgeting on her knees as they waited for the dark-haired man to explain how he was still alive after taking a hit like that. Kotetsu took a few minutes to gather his thoughts, before he spoke.

"Look – I know I got hit, but who's to say I got shot by a bullet?" he questioned. The two only blinked at him puzzled.

"Then…what were you shot with?" Barnaby asked, breeching the silence.

"It was just a supplement pill – if you shape it the right way and fire it off at a concentrated speed, it's enough to break the skin, but without the metal weight it won't cause any serious damage," Kotetsu explained, reaching a hand behind his back to feel for the minor wound. "But still – that stung a lot more than I was expecting it to. I thought I really _was_ gonna pass out there for a second."

"Wait – so you _faked_ your death just now!" Kaede exclaimed, her face torn between disbelief and furious. He only gave her a nervous glance, looking ahead of him since Barnaby was also giving him a similar scathing look.

"Well, yeah – lucky for me, Bunny still hasn't learned how to check a pulse yet," Kotetsu teased. The blush darkened as the blond reached a hand to adjust his glasses; the thought hadn't even crossed his mind to check the man's neck for a pulse. Kotetsu gently massaged the area where the fake "bullet" had hit him, flinching at the slight twinge lingering in his back; he muttered something about it bruising.

"Why would…" Barnaby began. Both father and daughter looked to him expectantly, the blond hesitating a bit before continuing on. "Why would you fake your death like that?" The older didn't answer right away, a soft smile on his face as he started to climb to his feet.

"I'll explain it to you later. First thing first – we have to get you to a hospital and get that bullet out of your leg," Kotetsu pointed out. Forest green eyes blinked at him, before looking down at his leg, a good portion of his pants soaked through with blood. He flinched at the pain now pulsing through his leg, having been reminded about it after ignoring it for so long. Kotetsu only looked to his daughter, who gave him a nod; the two then helped the injured Hero to his feet, Barnaby staggering as he leaned against the other man for support back to his bike. They were then confronted with the issue on how they were going to fit three people on a motorcycle, till Kaede suggested using the hundred power to get herself to the nearest hospital in a few super-powered jumps. Kotetsu was adverse to the thought of having his daughter leaping rooftops, but Barnaby assured him it wasn't the first time she's done it.

He grumbled and grouched about it, but relented, Kaede powering up and took off with great speed shouting over her shoulder that she'd see them there. Kotetsu sighed, giving a nagging look to the man clinging to his shoulders; they were going to have a nice long chat about the handling of the young girl in his absence once Barnaby was patched up. It was a bit of a struggle getting them seated on the bike, and a balancing act for Kotetsu since it's been a long while since he last rode one, but he managed to kick them off after a few false starts and pulled out towards the main roads. The wind whipped by them as they passed the city streets, still bustling with nightly activities and crowds; the speed was slow and steady, gradually increasing as Kotetsu's confidence in steering did. Barnaby only sighed against his back, arms wrapped tight around the slender waist as he leaned against the solid form.

This almost felt too much like a dream – a dream he had been clinging to for nearly four years now, and he was afraid of letting go. Afraid that he'd wake up and Kotetsu would be gone from his grasp again. His hold tightened just a bit, pressing himself against the warm back of his partner as the scenery passed by in a blur. A wide smile broke out on his face, closing his eyes as he just simply took in the feel, the solid shape of the man he had his arms wrapped around. He had his partner back, healthy and walking and very much alive, and all sequences of events that had leaded up to this had flown completely from his mind for the time being. All that mattered in the world right now to Barnaby was the warmth of Kotetsu's back and the steady, even breathing against his ear.

**-Chapter Sixteen/End-**


	17. Chapter 17

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst/Romance (this part contains a make-out)  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

There was a moment of surprised silence in the room when Barnaby walked in on a crutch before he was bombarded with a flurry of furious questions from Nathan and Antonio, the others somewhat confused but no less concerned about the events leading up to this. Barnaby tried to calm them down, saying he was fine and feeling better than he had in a long time. Kaede tried not to giggle at how flustered the others were getting while Barnaby simply stood there with a warm smile on his face. Antonio's attention finally went to the girl standing in the room with them, before turning to the blond man with a sharp nagging glare. Barnaby assured him that the academy knew she was here, the teen adding in that she just had to see this. Everyone only blinked at the pair, even more confused at the exchange of smiles between the two before Kaede ran back through the doors, returning minutes later as she dragged in a man behind her.

The newcomer didn't say anything, but Nathan and Antonio knew who he was – at least who they thought he was – going on defense before Barnaby held a hand up, saying it was not what they thought. They both gave him a skeptical look, Barnaby struggling with what the best way to explain this was, but just ended up blurting out it was Kotetsu. There was a long pause as all eyes just stared in shock at the man standing in the center of the room; they barely recognized him as their Kotetsu. His hair was cut short, spiking up naturally on its own, his face clean of any facial hair let alone the traditional trademark kittens of Wild Tiger, but the smile – the warm glow in his honey-brown eyes was scarily familiar.

After a quick round of rapid fire questions and the man answering them all correctly, the room settled back into silent shock, as if still trying to comprehend the situation. Kotetsu remained quiet, letting the news sink in with everyone as each tried to process the information. Karina was the first to make a move, slowly approaching him with an almost fearful look, hands over her chest. He smiled at her, giving her a slight nod as he greeted her. Tears welded up in her eyes, before running at him, nearly knocking him over as she threw her arms around his torso, crying against his chest. Kotetsu made a small noise in surprise at the unexpected pounce, before letting out a soft sigh as he slowly embraced her back, planting a friendly peck against her hair.

He caught eyes with Pao-lin, seeing the young teen tearing up, biting down on her lower lip as she stood where she was. He held an arm out to her, and the blonde didn't even hesitant, arms circling around him and Karina as the tears flowed freely down her face. Kotetsu also gave her a small peck on the head, whispering soft apologies to them as he held the two girls tight. Feeling left out of the group, Nathan came up to them, looking with a hopeful sparkle in his eyes as he asked for a kiss as well. Kotetsu only laughed, tapping a finger to his cheek; not wanting to miss the opportunity, Nathan reached his arms around the veteran's neck, giving the biggest, warmest and most heartfelt kiss he could muster on the smooth cheek. Kotetsu laughed – he was fairly certain he had a pink smudge now from the fiery Hero's lipstick.

Thankfully Keith and Ivan just settled for a hearty handshake and a good pat on the shoulder once Kotetsu managed to detangle himself from the girls, laughing at Keith's typical habit of repeating his words. He then looked to the only person who hadn't moved since he entered the room. Antonio didn't say anything, looking torn between wanting to hug Kotetsu or slug him; the hug evidently won out in the end as he approached and pulled Kotetsu into the tightest bear hug he could manage, sobbing miserably against the smaller shoulder. Kotetsu only laughed, tapping his friend's side to get him to let go, teasing him that a man his age shouldn't be bawling like a baby.

After getting all the tears settled and everyone was seated down on the chairs provided, Kaede sat close to her father as he began retelling everything he could finally remember. He recalled his struggle with the NEXT thief underwater, how the wound in his side was made worse when the guy dragged the red blade further. A hand reached for his side subconsciously, knowing there was a jarring scar there as a reminder. He continued on, remembering he had let the thief go out of shock from the pain before the NEXT crossed his blades and slashed him hard across the chest, effectively decimating his armor. He considered himself lucky that the suit's material was thick, or he probably would've been sliced through without it. Everyone flinched at the thought of it. He somehow managed to get hold of the thief again, but after he felt the other stop struggling everything was blank and the next time he regained consciousness, he was in a hospital without a single clue to who he was.

"You couldn't remember anything at all?" Pao-lin asked leaning forward on her seat. Kotetsu only shook his head.

"Nothing. If I had to describe myself at the time, it was like I was a child who just gained self-awareness for the first time," he answered. "I remembered all the basic functions and how to read and write, but everything else – gone. I was given the name 'Akira Hurst' and just started life anew with a clean slate."

"But still – three years is a long time, one would think _some_ of your memories would've come back to you," Nathan pointed out.

"I think – I was given something to keep my memories repressed," Kotetsu answered with a grim face. "I remember getting these shots during…training. I was told some bullshit excuse about it being for my health, but I seriously doubt that now." It was mildly surprising to see how casually the man swore in front of his own daughter, but the detail was brushed aside for now; Kaede's probably heard it more than enough times in school anyways. Kotetsu continued on with his life story, how he spent three months after his release from the hospital searching for his past, the events that led up to him accepting life as is, and how he stumbled into the assassination business he had been part of for nearly two years.

"And you never questioned it? You never felt it was wrong what you did?" Ivan asked, leaning his hands on his knees. The dark-haired man had explained how it worked, how it was typically a team of two, and the targets didn't matter as long as the price was paid. Kotetsu didn't answer right away, avoiding the eyes watching him, waiting for his answer as his face went blank.

"It – wasn't something I thought of at the time," he replied hesitantly. "I thought I was trying to repay a debt, but I didn't realise exactly what I was to…" He trailed off, staring down at the floor to avoid the curious gazes everyone was giving him, remaining as silent as stone. Nathan let out a sigh as he crossed one leg over the other, arm folding across his chest.

"You shouldn't be keeping this kind of information from us, dear," he scolded lightly. Kotetsu visibly flinched, but otherwise kept his gaze to the floor. "This is valuable details – if we know who is behind all this, we can work with the Justice Bureau and –"

"NO!" Kotetsu suddenly snapped, jerking his head up to give them a sharp look. Everyone was startled by the sudden outburst, a puzzling look appearing on each of their faces as Kotetsu bit his lip before glancing away from them. Even Barnaby was surprised by response; he and Kotetsu had talked a little bit after they had left the hospital and went back to the blonde's apartment, but it had mostly been trivial things. Nothing about what the man had talked about now; Kotetsu let out a sigh, threading his fingers through short, dark auburn strands as he tried to gather his thought to explain himself.

"Look, you know don't know what they're capable of; they'll _know_ when the Heroes are on to them – these aren't the kind of people you can touch," he started explaining. "They have connections you'd never even expect, and…they'll figure out I'm still alive and I really don't want them after me." There was a momentary of confusion at that, before Barnaby and Kaede filled in the gaps, explaining what had happened last night, how Barnaby got the injury in his leg and Kotetsu's memories returning. He explained the setup to fake his death, and why he had to do it that way.

"This isn't something you can just '_walk away_' from; there's no such thing as '_retiring_' to them," Kotetsu answered with a dark tone. "There were guys even older than me still killing, because the second you're unable to hold a gun steady, they '_forcibly_' retire you. They take no chances with loose-ends."

"Even if you say that, you're with us now. You can be guaranteed protection until we can take them down," Nathan assured, the others nodding in agreement. Kotetsu only shook his head.

"It's not just me they'd be after – they'd go after everyone close to me and I can't… I don't want to put everyone in that kind of danger," his voice shook a little, hands curling into fists as amber-brown eyes stared down at the floor. An odd unsettling silence fell between them, staring at the man completely different from the one they all used to know. This timid, almost frightened side of him was something they had never seen before; they have seen him hold things in, brush worries aside when he felt it would only be troublesome to others, but to see him this honest – this open about a daunting worrying like this. This was the man who always used to jump head first into danger if lives were at stake; this was the man who always threw caution to the wind, charging ahead without a plan or thinking for the consequences of his actions. So to see him so – reluctant to fight against an organization of assassins who killed anyone for the right price – it was a hard concept to grasp.

"But – you're _Wild Tiger_," Karina spoke up timidly. "You – you were always the most dedicated and enthusiastic Hero; you came back from your retirement despite your power loss. You…" her words faded, looking down at her lap to avoid seeing the man gravely shake his head in response.

"I can't be a Hero – not anymore; how can I trust myself to save lives when I've taken so many in return these past two years," he argued back softly. Karina wanted to open her mouth, to say some form of encouragement, of hope – like he had done for her when she had been lost about her career – but nothing would come out. She felt a hand firmly clasp hers, blinking up at Ivan slowly shaking his head; she grounded her teeth, hoping it would stop the threat of tears building up in her eyes. A heavy silence descended between them, the realisation sinking in that they had all tried to ignore – Kotetsu _had_ killed. Even if he wasn't fully conscious of it himself, it still didn't change the fact. Kaede glanced between the Heroes and her father with worrying eyes, before taking his hand with hers.

"I don't care how many people you've killed!" she blurted out suddenly. Amber-brown eyes blinked at her in surprise, the girl swallowing a breath to continue on now that she had spoken. "I mean, I know it's horrible, but you had no idea who you really were at the time! It's not your fault! You're still my dad – always will be and nothing is going to change that!" Kotetsu only gave her an owl look, stern dark brown eyes staring up at him expectantly, a stubborn look on her face as she held her breath in anticipation for his response. He smiled with a sigh, placing his other hand over hers.

"Thank you, Kaede – but I've already come to terms with it as Akira," he assured. Despite saying that, there was a definite relief in his eyes at hearing those words, as if his daughter's view about him was all he needed to be completely sure of himself. A wide smile broke out across the teen's face before they drew their hands apart, glancing around the room to see the others with brighter smiles on their faces.

"…Give me some time – I want to readjust again. I just – want to re-establish myself as Kaburagi, Kotetsu," he pleaded quietly. "And maybe then – I'll help with bringing those bastards down, alright?" There were soft murmurs of understanding, although it would've been much preferred to strike sooner than later, but for now – everyone was just glad to have their lost friend back, alive and breathing. They talked away from the assassin matter for now, and began playing catch-up on all the things Kotetsu had missed out for these past four years. Barnaby kept mostly quiet throughout the whole thing, allowing the others to update the man on what's been going on; without a place to go, Kotetsu was staying with him for now – they had plenty of time to enjoy each other's company. The thought made him smile – this time, definitely, they would have all the time in the world.

**-8-**

The evening sky was illuminated by the lights below, sparkling like diamonds as they exposed the night life of the city. The pale glow shone through the large wall windows, casting an eerie shadow over his facial features as he sat on the ledge, leaning up against the glass. He wished he could appreciate it better – this view he hadn't seen in long a while, but without his glasses it was nothing more than a medley of colours blurred together. Kotetsu sighed, leaning his head against the window; sitting in a dark room with nothing but the city lights below was oddly refreshing. He used to think it was depressing whenever he thought of how his partner used to sit like this – alone in the dark with nothing but thoughts of revenge, and memories of his parents' death. Now – it was kind of calming, peaceful almost.

"So – how did it go?" a light voice asked from behind. Kotetsu looked up to see Barnaby limping into the main room, still toweling off his hair with one hand the other clutching the cane tight.

"Not as I expected, but not any less teary," Kotetsu answered with a light laugh. He had called his mother while the blond was in the shower; it had been an awkward beginning for both of them before she finally broke down in tears, Kotetsu unable to keep his own from falling as she apologized for giving up on him. He didn't blame her – he couldn't, saying it was alright and that four years was a pretty long time for someone to go missing. They had talked for a little while, Kotetsu avoiding a lot of the gorier details for her sake and even had a quick exchange with his brother, Muramasa. That hadn't been quite a tearful, but it was no less emotional, Muramasa simply saying he was glad his little brother was alive. He had hung up just a few minutes ago before Barnaby reappeared, simply taking in the view he never realised he missed. Barnaby limped over to the ledge by the window, wincing as he careful sat himself across from his partner.

"Need a hand?" Kotetsu offered, but the blond shook his head.

"It's fine, I can manage," he replied. Once he was seated comfortably and mindful of his injury, the two fell into a comfortable silence, each gazing out to the cityscape far below them. It didn't feel any different from all the times Kotetsu had invited himself over in the past, staying up late as they bantered, poked fun at each other, talked, drank on occasions – but something _was _different. Forest green gazed into the night with a blank look; he had felt something strongly for Akira, even after getting hurt, those feelings lingered and Akira had felt something similar for him. So where did their relationship stand now? Now that there was no more Akira, what were Kotetsu's feelings towards him? How would their relationship as partners, as friends, change from this? Barnaby jumped at the hand firmly grabbing his, looking up at Kotetsu with a puzzled look; the other wasn't looking at him, gazing down at their hands.

"Just so you know…my feelings for you as Akira haven't changed," he spoke hesitantly. Barnaby felt his breath catch for a moment, Kotetsu taking his hand to lift close to his face, gently pressing his lips against slender fingers. The blond blushed. "I think, maybe some part of me subconsciously knew, or maybe some part of me had already been in love with you, but I just never realised it." There was a pause, a dark colour flushing across tanned cheeks as the hand around his tightened, amber eyes still not matching his mint green ones. Kotetsu took in a few deep breaths, trying to organize his thoughts into coherent sense before he continued on.

"I know I did something horrible to you as Akira and no amount of apologies is going to fix it…"

"That – it wasn't your fault," the younger began, but Kotetsu held a hand up.

"Please, let me finish," he pleaded. Barnaby closed his mouth, slowly nodding his head. Kotetsu took in a deep breath, finally lifting his head up to gaze eye to eye with the blond. "I'm not asking for forgiveness – I know I've broken our trust then, but I…I just want to know what – you feel about me? Not as Akira Hurst, but Kaburagi, Kotetsu." They simply sat there staring at each other, the emptiness of the apartment floating between them as they awaited the response, an unsure expression on the blonde's face. What _did_ Barnaby feel towards Kotetsu now? The man had always been a prominent figure in his life as they drew closer together as partners and as friends; he had been used to seeing Kotetsu as that guiding light, someone who would always be there to pick him up when he fell. Someone who could lead him back to the right path if he lost his way, but he never really thought hard about their relation, what they meant to each other beyond just being partners, beyond anything really. The ongoing silence made Kotetsu a little anxious, fearing he had gotten his answer as he slowly let the other's hand go.

"You…are Akira," Barnaby spoke up hastily. Honey-brown eyes blinked at him in confusion; the blond continued. "And – Akira is you. There were parts of you in him, and I still see parts of him in you. Honestly, if I had to describe it – Akira was just a more mature, dignified version of you." He reached out for the other's hand, Kotetsu surprised by the gesture as pale fingers tighten around his. Barnaby ducked his head down to hide his own blush, jolting slightly at the hand brushing through still damp honey-blond locks. He risked a glance up, seeing a timid, hopeful look in amber-brown eyes as the hand moved from his hair to his face, gently cupping his cheek. He moved closer, flinching at the stab of pain in his leg when he moved the wrong way, earning a concerned gaze, but otherwise brushed it aside as he closed the space between them. He gently touched his lips to Kotetsu's, hesitant, waiting for the other's reaction, feeling him press firmly, the hand traveling to tangle in wavy blond tresses.

It was slow, reluctant at first, as if both were unsure if this was really the right thing to do at the moment, before Barnaby felt a breath of sigh release itself from Kotetsu's shoulders, feeling him part his lips to deepen the kiss. He complied reaching his tongue out to meet the other's, an arm going around the back of the man's neck to pull them even closer. Kotetsu pushed past Barnaby's tongue, stroking the roof of his mouth, under his tongue, across his teeth; he moaned, a fluttering warm feeling flooding his stomach as the dark-haired man roamed his mouth. The two broke apart for a breath, panting heavily and faces flushed red as green clashed with brown, the chilled air of the apartment prickling their heated skin. Kotetsu pulled away further, giving the blond a half smile.

"So…I guess we have something now?"

"That depends – how long do you intend to stay?" Barnaby asked half-jokingly.

"As long as you are alive for, if you'll let me," Kotetsu answered tenderly. He leaned forward to capture the pale pink lips of his partner again, kissing him again softly, but not quite as deeply as the last one. Barnaby sighed into the kiss, enjoying the warmth, the smooth feel of Kotetsu's skin against his; Kotetsu touched his forehead to the blonde's.

"It's late – we should probably get some sleep," he suggested. Barnaby only hummed, Kotetsu standing up first before helping the injured man to his feet and help supported him as they headed to the bedroom together. He offered to help the other undress, but Barnaby assured he was able to do it himself, pointing out to the closet where Kotetsu could borrow some sleep clothes. With both in their sleep attire, Kotetsu pulled back to the covers for them, both climbing on to the mattress and sliding under the sheets as they settled for a good night's sleep.

Barnaby laid on his back, staring up at the blank dark ceiling, but he could feel the other's eyes on him, turning his eyes to gaze into honey-brown eyes. He held his hand up to his head, Kotetsu reaching out to take it as they gave each other an assuring squeeze. Neither of them was going to disappear in the morning – they'd be right there when they woke up, and figure out what to do with their lives from there. Sleep came easily, both drifting into pleasant dreams with smiles on their faces.

**-Chapter Seventeen/End-**


	18. Chapter 18

Breather-filler chapter of doom...enjoy~

**Setting:** After series  
><strong>Genre:<strong> General/Angst  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG (not changing)  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warmth crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is wrong.

**Once Lost Yet to Return**

He knew it was probably a bad idea to be back here, that it was stupid and careless and Barnaby would throw a fit if he knew about it – which was why he was here without the blonde's knowledge. Kotetsu stared up at the towering townhouse with an apprehensive look; the sense of familiarity, the feeling that this had been home for the past two years was hard to shake off. He climbed up the four-five steps leading up to the red door, stopping at the landing; it seemed natural to be here even though it had been abandoned without word days beforehand. He glanced over his shoulders, searching up and down the street cautiously; even though logic told him this area wasn't being watched, he still couldn't shake the feeling of metaphorical eyes stalking him, tracking his every move. He sighed – he'd be doing this for a while.

A hand reached out of the doorknob, finding it locked as expected – that was a good sign. He checked the streets once before flipping open the mailbox, reaching a hand in to scratch at the bottom for a loose corner, peeling away the flimsy flap to reveal a hidden compartment. His fingers curled around the key nestled inside, opening the locked door as he glanced around yet again before stepping into the empty house. Everything had been left as they had left it, meaning the landlord hadn't come by to throw their stuff out, which likely meant their rooms were also untouched. Kotetsu headed towards the stairs to the upper level, heading to the second door on the right – _his_ room. He hesitated a moment outside the door, taking in a deep breath as he assured himself over and over that this place wasn't under surveillance and he was just being overly paranoid.

He turned the handle, stepping into the vacant space and glanced around the tidy room with a strange sense of nostalgia. It felt – admittedly odd being back here with his real memories and the memories he had made as "Akira". Sometimes it felt like the two worlds were overlapping and he had trouble distinguishing himself between the two persons; sometimes he didn't even answer to "Kotetsu" the first time someone calls him that. He shook his head, gently pinching the bridge of his nose; he had been fine the first night his memories returned, but lately he's been getting headaches from all the jumbling in his head. He sighed – more self-issues to work through once everything had settled down, but for now first things first – he needed his spare glasses.

He walked over to the side table by the bed, pulling the top drawer out which housed a few notepads, some loose change and a modest set of pens, finding a blue solid case in the back of the drawer. He pulled it out, clicked it open to take out the black framed glasses inside and slipped them on his face. The world became instantly clearer, letting out a sigh at being able to see properly. Doctors said his eyesight had been partially damaged, but he wasn't completely blind – he could still distinguish vague shapes and colours at short distances, but little things like details or print more than two feet away became blurry, unidentifiable and he was getting tired of having fuzzy vision all the time. Snapping the case shut, he tucked it away in his coat pocket and turned to leave the room, hovering at the doorway as he cast one last glance. He frowned at the empty shelves that once housed his books; they were all in storage now, but it would be too risky to retrieve them without tipping off he was still alive. Pity – even though he wasn't a reader before this whole thing, he had grown a fondness for some of the literature "Akira" had collected.

Bidding one last farewell to his "past" he closed the door and headed back down the stairs to leave; the sooner he got out of this place and out of the public's eye, the better he'd feel. He let out a heavy sigh as he climbed down the steps, halting mid-way as a cold shiver ran down his spine at the lanky figure leaning against the couch in the living room, sharp, dark coloured eyes gazing at him with a blank look. He swallowed, trying to tame to wild flips his stomach was doing as he continued down the rest of the way, preparing himself for a physical assault or any of the sorts.

"Relax, I'm here on my own accord," William assured. "And as far as I know, he doesn't know you're alive." Kotetsu didn't say anything as he reached the bottom landing, still holding his breath as he stared at the young man with a nervous twitch.

"…why didn't you kill me?" he asked after a long stretch of uneasy silence.

"Why did you pretend to die then?" William asked in returned. Kotetsu didn't say anything as he turned his eyes to the floor, hearing the other sigh. "You shouldn't have come back here – granted this place is useless now that Heroes know about it, but still…"

"…I needed my glasses," Kotetsu murmured in response. The raven-head only blinked at him, before letting out a short laugh, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It would've been easier to go to a fuckin' eye-doctor then," he laughed. A strange small smile came to the dark-auburn haired man's face, but no more words passed between them. A heavy silence fell between them, the faint sounds of cars driving by drifting through the walls from outside. Honey-brown eyes looked up at the shaggy-haired man standing in the middle of the room, a serious expression crossing his face.

"Why _didn't_ you kill me?" he asked again. "I'm pretty sure he ordered you and Aldric to kill me if my memories ever returned." William didn't say anything, staring down at the wooden floor boards with a blank look.

"Yeah, he did…he figured he couldn't keep oppressing your memories forever," William explained. "He knew you'd eventually get them back and you'd realise who you were; we were told to kill you the second that happened."

"So why didn't you? I know you – you could've easily done it. Why setup a 'fake' bullet to take me out?" Kotetsu asked curiously. A vague, almost sad smile appeared on the young face, before deep-dark brown eyes looked up to face him with a shrug.

"Hey, what can I say – you turned out to be a pretty likeable guy, even if you didn't know shit about who you were," he answered. "I thought I could do it, even if old man Hurst couldn't but…shit, you're a pretty influential guy, you know?"

"So I've been told," Kotetsu answered with a laugh of his own.

"I guess we were just lucky you were smart enough to play along."

"I admit I was confused at first and almost got back up, but – I guess had a rapid thought about what would happen if I _didn't_ stay down," Kotetsu answered. "But that thing really stung! I thought I really _was_ going to die for a second there." They shared a laugh, even if it was a humorless joke, before falling into an odd silence. They had lived together for the better of two years, shared the same space, worked together on countless missions, and yet now it felt like they were complete strangers. All the short history between them seemed fake and unreal, but perhaps it would be better for them in the long run. William moved first, pushing away from the sofa as he walked over to where Kotetsu was standing, the elder taking a defensive stance on reflex. It made William chuckle at the response.

"Relax, old man Hurst asked me to give this you," he soothed. He reached into the satchel slung around his shoulder, pulling a small, sleek black case with gold trimmings decorating the corners. Kotetsu hesitated as the box was held out to him, taking it with careful hands as he cautiously clicked the case open. He made a startled noise at the handheld gun laid perfectly against the silk cushion lining the case, staring up at William with a confused and worried look.

"Don't worry, it's not a hint or anything – you know Aldric didn't want you in this business in the first place," William quickly assured. "Why do you think he was so desperate to keep you away from him?" Kotetsu didn't say anything as he stared down at the gun inside, snapping the case shut quietly as his bit his lip.

"I – I can't accept this…"

"Not an option – I'm not going back with full hands," William huffed. "Besides, it's – Aldric's first gun…the gun he brought with the money he earned through his own harsh work. He wants you to have it as a keepsake – a reminder." He didn't say anything, glancing to the black case in his hands before letting out an estranged sigh as he looked away.

"Tell him – thanks, I guess…for everything," Kotetsu requested in an unsure tone. The other only glanced at him with a surprisingly soft smile, giving him a slight nod as he headed towards the front door.

"I'll be sure to give him your regards," William waved. He paused with his hand on the knob, staring at the red painted door with a heavy look. "You know – most guys in this business would give up _anything_ to have the chance you've got now," he began, looking over his shoulder to the older man blinking at him. "So don't waste it…Kaburagi, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu didn't say anything, watching the young man disappear through the door and out onto the streets. He didn't move from his spot, looking down at the box between his hands, before letting out a long breathe of a sigh, staring up at the painted ceiling with a smile. How many times could a human be lucky enough to be reborn? He wondered if this was his last string of luck and that the next time he'd really die for sure. He tried not to think about it – right now, he was under the radar and needed to get his life back together somehow and then he could worry about the future once he was stable again.

He waited for fifteen minutes after William left – just to be safe – before leaving the house himself, locking it back up and then tossed the spare key into a dumpster as he headed back to Barnaby's flat before the blond realised he was missing. He tucked the black case under his arm, wondering how he was going to explain this to the fair-haired man. He tried to think of places to hide it that the other wouldn't look, but Barnaby could be too curious sometimes. Kotetsu sighed; maybe he could con Antonio in to keeping it safe for now – he rarely asked too many questions and would promptly forget about it after a day or two. Honey-brown eyes looked up to the overcast sky, just seeing the sun poking its rays through the gaps in the winter clouds; spring was just days around the corner and the snow was clearing up, leaving the grounds wet and slippery. Perhaps after month, when he felt like he wasn't being followed all the time, he'd take Barnaby and Kaede out for a spring walk.

**-Chapter Eighteen/End-**


End file.
